Music: Why Doves and the Manic Street Preachers deserve your attention

Easter is always a good time for music I've found. I accept it's a big generalisation, but after suffering in the winter, you tend to find all the big releases start to come out for the summer release.

Today, I've picked up on three bands which I love that have recently put out new stuff for people to listen to.

First of all, there's Doves with Kingdom of Rust, then there's It's Blitz from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and then there's the superbly verbose Jackie Collins Existential Question Time from the Manic Street Preachers.

Let's be honest. After hearing about the new single, I've not heard much of Dove's latest album before until I bought it back from Tesco - actually, the first album I've bought in about a year. And is it any good?

Well, yeah, I think so. Okay, it doesn't quite have the 'wow' factor that the first album had, but it's definitely a grower. I do love some of the Bladerunner - that is Vangelis - stylings which run through Jetstream and even Winter Hill, but there's a lot to listen to here.

It's not the cinemastic lachrymose stuff that you got from the first album, but it is a much easier listen, and builds on the polish of their second and third albums.

Now, all I need to do is get tickets for their up and coming tour.

Second, there's the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I missed their first album, although I non-stop played their second Show Your Bones after hearing 'Turn Into' on Radio One's Zane Lowe show.

I've not actually listened to this album yet, but I will post an update as soon as I can.

Thirdly, there's a band that definitely excites me returning to the fold: the Manic Street Preachers.

I can't admit to having picked up on the band from the very outset, but I did to love them from early 1992 after the release of Generation Terrorists. I didn't bother with the second album, but I adore The Holy Bible and Everything Must Go, the last album to feature Richey Manic's lyrics. Until now.

Now, the band have trawled back through the long-lost, presumed-dead one's lyrics for a song which I'm growing to love.

It starts off like a modern-day Manic's Track, with plenty of restraint and poise, but then ends up with Mr Dean Bradfield at his top-of-the-range bellowing best. A triumph.

Of course, please let me know what you reckon, or even tell me if you think there's something I should be listening to. After all, I'm struggling to keep up these days.