Home › Entertainment › Music
Verve goes 'Forth' with reunion CD
AP The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft performs with the band during day three of the Glastonbury Festival in England on June 29.
STORY TOOLS 
More from MusicTalk of a return to the relative glory days of a decade ago is often hostage to the fortunes of the modern music business, but the reformation of The Verve has its supporters dreaming big.
The reunited British modern rock quartet, fronted by Richard Ashcroft, releases its "Forth" album Aug. 26. It's the band's first album since its most successful, "Urban Hymns," appeared 11 years ago.
"Forth" is a bracing blend of the experimentalism of the group's early work and the more structured songwriting of its last two efforts. The album is highlighted by the dreamy "Judas," arguably one of the most beautiful songs the band has yet penned, and the anthemic ballad "Valium Skies," a sure-fire future concert staple that is reminiscent of the hit "Lucky Man" from "Urban Hymns."
Elsewhere, The Verve stretches out in ways it hasn't since the early '90s, particularly on the eight-minute "Noise Jam," a propulsive rocker with references to Mother Mary, Steve McQueen and the Rapture.
In the U.S., "Forth" is on the group's On Your Own imprint via New York independent label Megaforce.
U.S. sales of The Verve's '90s catalog show unbroken upward momentum, culminating in 1.4 million for "Urban Hymns." Ashcroft's three solo albums, on the other hand, have traveled in the other direction, from 86,000 for 2000's "Alone With Everybody" to 26,000 for "Human Conditions" (2003) to not quite 8,000 for "Keys to the World" (2006). Ashcroft will continue to record solo alongside his work with the group.
The Verve played its first reunion shows at British arenas last November and December, before U.S. interest was warmed by a Coachella headliner slot and two April sellouts in New York at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theatre. The band then had the invaluable chance to trumpet its return, and an imminent album, by headlining the last night of the Glastonbury Festival in late June.
— Billboard
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.