The Verve - Forth

3.5/5
After 10 years of fighting and forgettable Richard Ashcroft solo albums, the Verve finally make a comeback with Forth (yes, it is a pun). There is no doubt that this is a pleasant record: it's full of spacey psychedelic jams with plenty of charming moments. Much of the material is reminiscent of Explosions In The Sky (except with vocals), but the Verve could learn a lot more from EITS; the jams don't take your gut and grab hold of you like they should (and could). There are hardly any definable climaxes, and when there are, they're not stirring enough. Some might argue that the Verve were better when they made accessible, catchy Britpop, such as the memorable "Bittersweet Symphony" back in 1997. The only track that comes close to being memorable is "Valium Skies", which I particularly like. But after being non-existent for 10 years, Forth is a welcome and pleasurable listen.