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Forth Red/On Your Own |
This album will be scrutinized and over-analyzed to the hilt, and why shouldn’t it be?! 11 Years?! This much talent and you stay away from the studio for 11 years?! Ok, enough badgering – The Verve are back, and psych and wander their way through 10 songs quite nicely, like it’s everybody’s bidness. Lead single “Love Is Noise” may seem strange up front given the squawking sample, but the song is a huge, catchy, pulsing triumph, that should reach towards “Bittersweet” status. Try not to love the hook. That, and Richard Ascroft is beautiful when he woops along with the loop… dude’s still got soul and snarl. Songs like “Valium Skies,” “I See Houses,” and “Rather Be” all soar like songs your mom likes on ‘98s Urban Hymns. More adventurous are the tracks no doubt scaled back from late night jam sessions. “Noise Epic” is a sexy, moody-groover that erupts with some violence and fuzz nearing the end of its 8+ minutes – Ashcroft delivering with some pomp not unlike Liam Gallagher. “Columbo” is another solid groove filled with apparitions of the Stone Roses and tons of satisfying atmospheric echo. The iTunes version of this album will feature what would have been one of the album’s best tracks, so look out for that you fine customers… I mean… music-lovers.
— Brian Hoekstra
