Reviewed by guest reviewer Craig
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Track 1: Bittersweet Symphony.
We’ve all heard it. The violin driven smash single is filled with beautiful harmonics, and a few simple, heartfelt lyrics, yet it’s a mere sample of what’s in store. Not your typical Verve song, and it’ll show on the rest of the album; Nonetheless, a standout track, and a great start to the record.
Track two: Sonnet
An acoustic ballad, probably the softest song on the album. A traditional moany Ashcroft chorus, with plenty of feeling. Great track.
Track three: The Rolling People
Now THIS is The Verve! Guitarist Nick McCabe just weaves in and out of Ashcroft’s laid back vocals. The sond is just soaked in reverb and wah-wahs. A modern psychedelic classic, and the first epic of the album; certainly not the last!
Track four: The Drugs Don’t Work
Another not-so-traditional track. For a band who were heavy drug users early in their careers, this is a huge step forward, a complete rejection of what they once did. Acoustic guitars, depressing vocals, yet good music. Emos, take note! This is how you do what should be depressing music, and make it uplifting.
Track five: Catching The Butterfly
Another psychedlia drenched rocker, but this one slows it down a lot. Just listening to it make you feel cool. Haunting vocals, accompanied perfectly by the guitars. A really laid back track, and another one of the albums greats.
Track six: Neon Wilderness
A chill down from the last sprawling track, traversing the same psychedelic sounds. Nothing really makes it stand out spectacularly. It’s the bridge between the first and second half of the album, which are the tracks that make it famous.
Track seven: Space and Time
The first track on the album to blend the psychedlic guitar sounds with the melodies and sincerity of the acoustic ballads. These are why the album is still famous, but Space and Time in particular is a gem. “There aint no space and time to keep our love alive, we have existence and it’s all we share”. A masterful mix of two Verve staples, and it works perfectly.
Track eight: Weeping Willow
Another slow ‘un, but does away with the melodic guitars for the intro, and focuses more on sound effects. The blended psychedlia ballad stuff still works, but with the guitars further in the background. The instrumentalists really kick in at the chorus, and bring it to a higher level.
Track nine: Lucky Man
Just amazing. The guitars are in perfect harmony, from the squealing tones of McCabe, to the simple chord progressions of Ashcroft and Tong, this is one of the album’s standout tracks.
Track ten: One Day
The most uplifting song on the record. Simple, yet intricate guitars, and an anthemic chorus; ‘Oh, don’t you want to find? Cant you see there’s beauty in life?’ A perfect “everything’s gonna be alright track”.
Track eleven: This Time
Another psychedelia, except this one’s a lot more poppier. A bit of a letdown compared to some of the other masterpieces of the style, but the next two tracks do more than make up for it….
Track twelve: velvet Morning
The penultimate track, and one of the best psychedlia pop songs ever. Everything about this song is extremely laid back, with some amazing instrumental work by every man. The lyrics are some of the best there are “don’t you find that it’s the lonely, the corridor, You walk there alone, and life is a game”. Sincerity, emotion, and above all, great music. It isn’t over yet however….
Track thirteen: Come On
Starting off with one of the coolest bass lines ever, followed by a psychedelic guitar riff. Sounds extremely laid back; It’s all part of a trick to lull you in for when the huge, inspiring wave of sound smacks you in the face. This is no psychedelia/pop mix. It’s an all-out psychedelic jam song, with some of the best lyrics ever penned (He’s got a little pill for me, just a little luxury, help me through my day). The attack of a pair of guitars filled with insane effects is nothing to be underestimated. Easily the greatest track on the album, from the chill into to the “This is a big, F--K YOU!” near the end of the jam. seven minutes of musica; perfection, six minutes of silence, one minute of random psychedlic noise.
So that’s Urban Hymns; an album that not only kissed off the britpop era, but defined neo-psychedlia itself. I’m giving this one a 9/10.
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