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Amazon.co.uk review:
Calling it
a day in early 1999 was probably the best thing the Verve ever did, as it
meant that they quit when they were at the pinnacle of their success,
sparing their faithful followers an unsightly degeneration.
Urban Hymns is a fitting final testament to Wigan's favourite sons, as
Richard Ashcroft and
Nick McCabe temporarily buried the hatchet and reformed one of Britain's
greatest songwriting partnerships since Lennon and McCartney. From the
unmistakable introductory chords of "Bittersweet Symphony" to the sheer pop
perfection of "Lucky Man" via stoner rock-outs like "Weeping Willow" and the
call to arms that is "Come On", every track justifies its presence by being
part of a cohesive whole.
Their previous album
A Northern Soul
was already marked down in the annals of rock history as a classic; Urban
Hymns surpasses it and then some. --Helen
Marquis
Allmusic.com review:
Not long
after the release of A Northern Soul, the Verve imploded due
to friction between vocalist Richard Ashcroft and guitarist Nick
McCabe. It looked like the band had ended before reaching its full
potential, which is part of the reason why their third album, Urban Hymns
-- recorded after the pair patched things up in late 1996 -- is so
remarkable. Much of the record consists of songs Ashcroft had
intended for a solo project or a new group, yet Urban Hymns
unmistakably sounds like the work of a full band, with its sweeping,
grandiose soundscapes and sense of purpose.
The
Verve
have toned down their trancy, psychedelic excursions, yet haven't abandoned
them -- if anything, they sound more muscular than before, whether it's the
trippy "Catching the Butterfly" or the pounding "Come On." These
powerful, guitar-drenched rockers provide the context for Ashcroft's
affecting, string-laden ballads, which give Urban Hymns its hurt. The
majestic "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and the heartbreaking, country-tinged "The
Drugs Don't Work" are an astonishing pair, two anthemic ballads that make
the personal universal, thereby sounding like instant classics. They just
are the tip of the iceberg -- "Sonnet" is a lovely, surprisingly understated
ballad, "The Rolling People" has a measured, electric power, and many others
match their quality. Although it may run a bit too long for some tastes,
Urban Hymns is a rich album that revitalizes rock traditions without
ever seeming less than contemporary.
It is the
album the Verve have been striving to make since their formation, and
it turns out to be worth all the wait. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music
Guide
MTV.com review:
On URBAN HYMNS The Verve
continues to widen the creative spectrum of psychedelic Britrock. The Verve
exhibits a great deal of musical depth as they blanket "Bitter Sweet
Symphony" with a full string section, employ acoustic guitars to evoke the
simple, Carpenters-ish sentiments of "Sonnet" and "The Drugs Don't Work,"
and utilize heavily processed guitars on "Weeping Willow." Whether exploring
the loud or soft extremes of their dynamic range, the band aspires to
classic songwriting, tastefully incorporating retro sensibilities with sweet-sounding
hooks that yield a tranquil, pastoral beauty.
Pitchforkmedia.com review:
In Gravity's Rainbow
Thomas Pynchon wrote that paper is used in three ways-- for "shit, money,
and The Word." I tend to look at guitars in the same way. File Urban
Hymns neatly into the "The Word" file please. Listening to the Verve's
third LP mimics the feeling one gets the day after being bedridden-sick
forever and walking out into a 59-degree-cool, fresh, lung-numbing October
morning to have a picnic of herbal tea, citruses, and damn good donuts with
your lover (who was too afraid of catching your bug for the last week).
No need for power chords or
stick- a- fork- in- a- fan guitar racket here. The Verve's fencing
guitarists layer neon-effervescent wave after neon-effervescent wave of wah
wah wash over the blue sands and polished granite boulders of the shifting
rhythm section. The beautiful subtlety of the guitars waft up your nose and
relax your mind like those giant screw-hooks with which the Egyptians used
to take out brains. The Verve's affirmant melodies dance and haunt. Vocalist
Richard Ashcroft even looks and sounds like a ghost. Ironic that one of the
year's best rock albums moves earth without excessive stroking of the
guitar. But this sucker can blow out a Bose. Recommended uses for Urban
Hymns-- reading Tolkien, making love, driving at night through Kentucky/Scottish
hills, any old time you're tired of the chug and drag of modern rock.
-Brent
Dicrescenzo
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