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A Northern Soul

The Verve

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Album Review

Though shorn of the more overtly shoegazer-styled elements of their debut A Storm in Heaven, the Verve's sophomore effort A Northern Soul is no less epic in scope, forging a heavier, more traditionally psychedelic sound infused with a chaotic energy which mirrors the emotional upheaval at the heart of Richard Ashcroft's songs. Reportedly produced under the influence of excessive drug use, the album is harrowingly intense, its darkly hypnotic momentum steered by Nick McCabe's spiraling guitar leads and Ashcroft's incantatory vocals; tracks like the remarkable "On Your Own," "So It Goes," and the majestically morose "History" are searing evocations of isolation and desperation, soaring yet heartbreaking anthems of disillusionment and loss.

Customer Reviews

This Is History

This album is the underrated little brother of Urban Hymns. Buy this album if only for the full version of "History" that will bring a tear to your eye. Ashcroft's distinctive northern drone perfectly compliments the subject matter. The songs, whilst pessimistic in nature tend to feel uplifting due to the melodic guitar parts and slightly gospel feel, which Ashcroft follows up in his later solo work. Urban Hymns brought The Verve mainstream success, A Nothern Soul saw them grow from their indie roots to the mature, soulful sound that distinguishes this album from the other 'Britpop' of 1995. Listening through headphones, the enveloping wall of sound will move you. A 'must buy' for any serious music enthusiast.

So It Goes...

I'd almost forgotten about this til this evening whilst trying to break down London by William Blake for my OU course, & of course History by The Verve came spinning back into my head. If you've ever heard the song & the poem then the obvious correlation is already there. First heard this album when i was 16, so it's been 12 years! But i love The Verve, were and could still possibly be my favourite band. I awaited Urban Hymns for ages but this IS The Verve album. Dark, intense, emotional, a bit like Blake himself really. Existential. Real. Psychedelic. Blues. Indie. Fantastic. Really. Swear down.

The definitive Verve album?

While 1997's Urban Hymns had the hits and 1993's A Storm In Heaven had the "out there" psychedelia, it's A Northern Soul that deserves to be remembered as the definitive Verve album (unless this year's reunion throws up particularly good new material). Songs like History and So It Goes show Richard Ashcroft's development as a songwriter, while some of the heavier songs like A New Decade and This Is Music reign in the band's previous tendency to meander and lead to a more focussed, clear and angry sound. However it's the final three songs that really elevate this album and give the band a chance to shine. A Classic.

Biography

Formed: 1989 in Wigan, England

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '90s, '00s

Long acclaimed as one of the most innovative and spellbinding bands on the contemporary British pop scene, the Verve finally broke through to a mass international audience in 1997 with the instant classic "Bittersweet Symphony." By no stretch a study in overnight success, the group's rise was instead the culmination of a long, arduous journey that began at the dawn of the decade and went on to encompass a major breakup, multiple lawsuits, and an extensive diet of narcotics. Perfecting an oceanic...
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