The Verve refuses to give up British-rock roots

With the release of “Forth,” their first album in more than ten years, British rockers The Verve are showing not even a lawsuit from The Rolling Stones can keep them from exercising their signature sound.

“Sit and Wonder” launches the album into trippy drawn-out solos backed by lead singer Richard Ashcroft’s repetitive vocals. The Verve take its sound in a new direction with the subsequent track “Love is Noise,” blending Ashcroft’s raspy voice with synthesized “uh-oh-ohs.”

Ashcroft still lyrically contemplates the meaning of life after all these years as is evident in the familiar “Rather Be.” This song could have been stolen from the band’s 1997 album, “Urban Hymns.”

The properly titled “Numbness” implements soothing guitar riffs and whispery vocals to lull listeners into a trance.
Simple piano chords (and lyrics) are the focus of “I See Houses,” as the band feels comfortable skipping a lengthy solo but makes sure to include layered vocals.

Coldplay’s Chris Martin— – who has toured with Ashcroft in the past – might have rubbed off on The Verve’s sound as Ashcroft successfully tries his best falsetto in the bass-heavy “Columbo.”

The closing ballad, “Appalachian Springs,” echo Ashcroft’s angst-ridden “aahs” throughout the song and surely will please any fan of The Verve. It appears The Verve, aware of its fortes, is not trying to change drastically in “Forth,” but rather to move on and pick up were they it left off.

The Verve thrives in “Forth,” not because of an innovative new sound but because of its ability to recapture fans, providing them with long-awaited, high-caliber music.