Doves Fly Toward New Horizons

More than a decade ago, British pop got a boost from such Manchester acts as Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, whose trippy, exuberant mix of classic hooks and acid house had a big impact on such future stars as Oasis and Blur.

The epic, psychedelic music of the Manchester trio Doves dates back to that time, when it was a dance group called Sub Sub with a 1993 U.K. hit, “Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use).” During the band’s sold-out L.A. debut Tuesday at the El Rey Theatre, twin brothers Jez and Andy Williams and their longtime pal Jimi Goodwin acknowledged that era by encoring with another Sub Sub tune, “Space Face.”

But as Doves demonstrated during the 80-minute set, drawn mostly from its first album, “Lost Souls,” its current sound is both spacier and more traditional. The persistent drone naturally recalled the Velvet Underground, but such sprawling numbers as “The Cedar Room” reflected a cornucopia of influences, including Morrissey (who was spotted in the audience), New Order, Inspiral Carpets and Tricky.

Film projections on the stage backdrop cast crazy patterns over the players, including additional keyboardist Martin Rebelski, encouraging the imagination to run wild amid the sheen of guitar, bass, vocal harmonies, drums, harmonica and samples. The songs were inventive enough to spark their own Manchester movement, but regardless, Doves certainly will keep the place on the musical map.