Track Listing

1. Sit And Wonder
2. Love Is Noise
3. Rather Be
4. Judas
5. Numbness
6. I See Houses
7. Noise Epic
8. Valium Skies
9. Columbo
10. Appalachian Springs

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4581 in Music
• Released on: 2008-08-25
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Warning: the Verve’s wittily titled fourth album--the first since their reformation in 2007--is no Urban Hymns Part II. That much is clear from the album’s first single "Love Is Noise," a punchy-yet-addictive propulsive rocker, but it’s a fact underlined several times on the remainder of the album. Taking a determined stroll along the boulevard of experimentalism, the band mix up their slick strings and ringing guitars with dense drums and murky soundscapes for this comeback album. Opening cut “Sit and Wonder” sets the tone: a lurching, bluesy tune with a loose, jam-session feel that maintains its groove for almost seven minutes. The soaring (and shorter) “Rather Be,” the dreamy “Judas” and the plodding “I See Houses” bring us closer to the classic Verve sound, but the retreat into moody psychedelia continues anew with “Numbness,” the intense “Noise Epic” and the kaleidoscopic, Can-like “Colombo”. Despite these darker moments being indulgently drawn-out at times they serve to raise the more euphonious moments--surprise anthems like “Valium Skies” included--to even more heavenly realms, and create a compelling chiaroscuro along the way. --Danny McKenna

CD Description
Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential bands in British music, this is the fourth album by Wigan's The Verve, and their first full set of original material since the career defining, 1997 commercial breakthrough, 'Urban Hymns'. 'Forth' is a strong and varied release, combiningguitarist Nick McCabe's sonic experiments with frontman Richard Ashcroft's Britpop-esque balladry. The anthemic single,'Love Is Noise' is included.

Customer Reviews

Four Stars... and a bit.
I was never a Verve fan as such, but I have had Urban Hymns since its release and it's is one of my favourites. Forth is good but by no means great. It starts off well, the first few songs are excellent, particularly Rather Be and Love is Noise, but then it loses its way until the brilliant Valium Skies. So I give it four stars, were it not for the rather poor middle, I'd have happily given five stars. This is only my opinion, this one looks like one of those CD's that is 'like marmite', if you know what I mean.

Back & Forth
I've listened to this album over 6 six times now. Being a Verve fan (who loves all their work) I've tried to like this album, I really have, but I must be honest with myself & admit that's it's pretty poor.

From a Verve fan's point of view this album is only interesting because you can hear all the tensions in band.

- You can tell when Ashcroft & McCabe were getting on with songs like "Sit And Wonder", "Valium Skies" & "Appalachian Springs".

- You can tell when they weren't talking with songs like "Judas", "Numbness" & "Columbo".

- & you can tell when they've just given up & Ashcroft has quickly brought in his own stuff like "Rather Be" & "I See Houses".

Now I know all Verve albums require multiple listens to get the most out of them, so it's not like I've rushed to judgements with Forth. But lets be honest here, Forth is their weakest album. Oddly the album is over produced & yet some songs are under developed, "Noise Epic" being the best example of this.

What's annoying is that for years Richard Ashcroft's solo career has been panned where now Forth is being hyped up, yet there's songs on this album that could easily be on any Richard Ashcroft record.

Lets be honest here if this album was called "Richard Ashcroft - Forth" would anyone give a damn about this album? For those of you who can't be honest with yourself let me tell you the answer is.... NO!!!!

FABULOUS guitar music at its very best
This is guitar music of the finest quality, if you like this band`s early stuff then you`ll love this. Absolutely brilliant.