After 20 years and two break-ups, The Verve has finally released a fourth album, under the pun-happy title of Forth. But unlike most comeback albums, Forth isn’t a complete change of direction for the band or an attempt to replicate one of its previous successes. Instead the album actually advances the band’s sound at a natural pace. It’s surprisingly cohesive as well.
The Verve is notorious for their in-fighting, but you would never guess it from this album. There is plenty of tension on the disc: tension between delicate, complex guitar work and walls of ambient sound, between long, meandering ballads and epic anthems, between tight musical production and clunky but sincere lyrics. But this pervasive tension is all on the creative side and does the album good, keeping it from falling into a musical rut, which is quite a feat for a disc full songs that run between five and eight minutes. Whether The Verve will stick it out and stay together this time around is anyone’s guess, but if Forth does end up being their last album, it will be a fitting way to go out.
- Helen Horn-Mitchem
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