The Verve thaws after long freeze
After years spent dormant, acclaimed '90s Britpop band the Verve reconvened in June for the first time
since 1999 and wasted no time getting down to recording.
"We all decided, that rather than meeting for a cup of coffee or a beer or whatever, we should meet in a studio where we can do what we do. Straight away," singer Richard Ashcroft tells NME.com.
Even better, the band, perhaps best known in the United States for the lush, orchestral song "Bittersweet Symphony" from its landmark 1997 album "Urban Hymns," has made available "The Thaw Session," which the members claim is the first 14 minutes of music they made after regrouping.
It's moody and atmospheric, with dense layers of guitar and keyboards held together by a looping bassline and steady drumming while Ashcroft croons, as if from a distance. If it's true that the band plugged in and immediately recorded something this promising, it's staggering to think what else they might have come up with after a little more time together in the studio.
Download "The Thaw Session" here, for free (though you'll have to enter your name and e-mail address).
They look the same to me. I am sure they sound just as good as they ever did -- which is to say, "excellent."
Posted by: blair | January 31, 2008 at 12:11 AM