The Verve: Not Bitter, Not Sweet, Still Symphonic With New Album

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The Verve are set to release their fourth album, which is — either cleverly or annoyingly, depending on your mood — entitled Forth, on August 25th.While it lacks a Top 40 hit on the level of “Bittersweet Symphony,” Forth represents a sonic continuation of 1997’s Urban Hymns, with Nick McCabe’s swirling guitars supporting the recognizable voice of Richard Ashcroft, whom none other than cringe-worthy Coldplay crooner Chris Martin called “the greatest singer in the world.”

Forth overflows with anthemic, well-written tunes that will sound great when the band makes its way across the world’s larger venues on tour in support of the album — its first in 11 years, when “Bittersweet Symphony” first ruled the airwaves. The song’s success attracted the attention of The Rolling Stones and Andrew Oldham, who had released an orchestral album of Stones covers. (The Rolling Stones had themselves apparently borrowed the song from a ’50s group called The Staple Singers, but nonetheless, Oldham successfully sued The Verve for using more of the sample from his orchestral cover of The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time” than they had paid to license.)

Back to Forth.

Fans of The Verve — or sweeping, dramatic pop music in general — will find plenty to like here, although for me, McCabe’s guitar is the highlight once again. Here’s an advance stream of the single, “Love Is Noise,” featuring a catchy sample that hopefully wasn’t licensed from another litigious stickler:

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/08/the-verve-not-b.html

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