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Rating: 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.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Love Is Noise (05:29)
Will those feet, In modern times
Walk on soles, That are made in China
Feel the bright prosaic malls
In the corridors that go on And on and on
Are we blind, Can we see?
We are one, Incomplete
Are we blind, In the shade
Waiting for lightning, To be saved
Cause Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Singing Again
Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Singing Again,
[Again, Again] [Again, Again]
Will those feet, In modern times
Understand, This world's affliction
Recognize, The righteous anger
Understand, This world's addiction
I was blind, Couldn't see
What was here, In me
I was blind, Insecure
I felt like the road, Was way too long,
Yeah
Cause Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Singing Again
Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Singing Again,
Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Feeling Again
Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Singing Again,
[Again, Again] [Again, Again]
Cause Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Feeling Again
Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Singing Again,
Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Feeling Again
Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Singing Again,
[Again, Again] [Again, Again]
Will those feet, In modern times
Walk on soles made in China
Will those feet In modern times
See the bright, Prosaic malls?
Will those feet, In modern times
Recognize, The everything up
Will those feet, In modern times
Pardon Me For My Sins
Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Feeling Again,
Love Is Noise, And Love Is Pain
Love Is These Blues That I'm Singing Again,
[Again, Again] [Again, Again]
08 Valium Skies (04:34)
Can you keep yourself on for good
Seems like the whole world is losing
How do you stop yourself up
Even if seems like the whole world is crying
Aaaah Oooooh
Aaaah Oooooh
She got all I need
The air I breath
When it comes to my valium skies
She don't mind if I cry
How do you stop your love from crying
Even if you knew she was lying
How do you stop this world from loathing
Still no knocking with all these cards I'm holding
Aaaah Oooooh
Aaaah Oooooh
She got all I need
The air I breath
When it comes to my valium skies
She don't mind if I cry
She don't mind if I cry
She don't mind if I cry
Aaaah Oooooh
Aaaah Oooooh
She got all I need
The air I breath
When it comes to my valium skies
She don't mind if I cry
When it comes to my valium skies
She don't mind if I cry
09 Columbo (07:30)
Baby why are you wasting time crying
Like it's the only thing to do?
Baby don't you worry, you're still crying
Your instincts all it's got, I knew
Baby don't you worry, you're still crying
I can see the sadness in your eye
Baby why are you wasting time crying
Trying to find out the reasons why?
Baby don't believe it when they say it
Love is just a feeling that you give
You're the universe and you're all I need
Tell me all the secrets that I forget
Ooh-yeah-yeah, oooh-yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah
All right, ooh yeah, all right
Just watch the lights go down over this town
Watch it ten feet down, whilst we learn
Watch the city boys leave, full of bluster
Oh where are we now?
Take it easy, for you must keep digging, yourself's only star
We don't know, we don't know (oh yeah)
We don't know, we don't know (oh yeah)
We don't know, we don't know
we don't know, we don't know (a-ha)
Fame, a celebrity cocksuck, flash light, flash light
Fame, bullet proof bathroom
Inside, fixing up
Fame, a sealing-up number one
Vacuum, a vacuum
Fame, miracle accent,
Inside, start it up
Shoot it up, shoot it up, shoot it up, shoot your gun
Fame, the vanity minstrel
Fame, the mirror of the wet dream
And I love you, and I'm feeling that accent
Dying on the inside, I'm dying on the inside
Love's like oxygen
Love's like oxygen
Love's like oxygen
Love's like oxygen
Love's like oxygen
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Other reviews
By Rooftrampler92
The turn is the change, the only way to get out of the city streets to purify the music.
'Love is Noise' is one of the hits of the year, the chorus kills.
By GrantNicholas
"Love is noise/love is pain/love is these blues that I’m singing again,"
"Richard seems rejuvenated by ten years, and he has also gained greater expressive depth in his voice."
By Doherty
The album opens with the track Sit and Wonder, certainly the best song with strong reminiscence of early Verve.
'Forth' is an album a bit too homogeneous with too few epic moments to highlight for it to be an album of those The Verve everyone knows... or rather knew.
By Keith
The album immediately surprises with the band’s state of grace and Ashcroft’s vocal cords which practically do whatever he wants.
'Love Is Noise' already a band classic, catchy and contagious with a chorus that sticks and is supported by an almost three-dimensional production.
