The Verve
Forth

THE REVIEW

Hello everyone, I've never written a review before and since I noticed the lack of a detailed review of this beautiful album, I decided to take on this task. First of all, the title "Forth" and the cover suggest a celestial record, as if to say "forward! up in the sky".

It begins immediately with the beautiful "Sit And Wonder" which emerged from 23 minutes of the band's jam session, a song that evolved from the first performances of the reunion tour to this beautiful studio version where Nick McCabe (guitarist) almost seems to have fun playing with his guitar, adding effects here and there accompanied by the violinist Davide Rossi (Italian pride), on a stunning (almost funk) base of bass and drums (Simon Jones-Peter Salisbury) with Ashcroft entering your head and never leaving, imploring God to give him the light "Lord gimme some light...". Right after, we have two pop pieces only Richard knows how to write: "Love Is Noise" and "Rather Be". Two songs that will please fans of "Urban Hymns" given their stubborn pop attitude: the first is spoiled by the (almost ridiculous) 'aooohhh' loop although it has a wonderful lyric, and the second is the usual classy solo single by Richard Ashcroft (it will be the second single starting from November 17). Next comes "Judas" a soul piece where the chiming guitar reminds the old fans of the dreamy "A Man Called Sun".

"Numbness" is Verve's tribute to Pink Floyd where the first verse is identical to that of "Breathe In The Air" (I think), featuring a strikingly sharp guitar with a stunning solo. The second half of the album opens with "I See Houses", a very "Verve-like" and dark piece that makes us imagine distant horizons. Right after is "Noise Epic", an epic ride indeed, moreover the first para-prog track by the Verve, divided into 3 parts led by Richard's spoken voice and a very rock instrumental part (like Stooges) and almost hardcore at the end. After this impetuous rock, we take a break with "Valium Skies", a dream pop piece that relaxes us almost like a drug. We continue with "Columbo" where Simon's fabulous bass dominates, guiding us throughout the song adorned by McCabe's wonderful effects. In conclusion, the ballad halfway between psychedelic rock and country: "Appalachian Springs" which sounds like "See you in the next one" from their first work like a quiet fade-out finale of a rock'n'roll album.

In summary, we can say that this album, a hybrid of their previous works, seems to be the most mature, balancing between Richard's compositional vein and the unforgettable jam sessions of the band.