The Verve - Rather Be

Justifying the new Verve record by saying that at least it’s better than Richard Ashcroft’s solo albums doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s time for fans to face the fact that mediocre dreck like new single ‘Rather Be’ was never what The Verve set out to be, that their older material was much more grand in sound and scope, and was full of ambition and confidence. The new record, and any single they decide to pull from it, lacks any and all of those things, and can’t be viewed as anything but a disappointment.

Richard’s lyrics have been continually getting worse as his career has progressed, and in the second verse of ‘Rather Be’, he’s not even forming complete words anymore, stuttering to get them out, as if to say ‘even I can’t sing this gibberish with meaning.’ And where is Nick McCabe during this mess? His once soaring guitar work is buried underneath middle of the road arrangements and what sound like high school choir backup singers. Little bursts of five second guitar flourishes are an insult to the man, and to the listeners. Everyone involved deserves better, but with this album, at least, it’s not going to happen.