Urban Hymns

The first song is obviously a 5 but after that it varies.

I enjoyed this, some really good songs on here.

decent

Score: 70 Album art: 60 The bends Guess I'll get this out of the way right away. It is very hard to shake off the comparison to Radiohead while listening to this. Like extremely hard. With that being said it is different enough to have its own sound. Bittersweet symphony is for some reason the first song. I'm guessing this is because a label wanted it right in front but it makes no sense for the flow and feeling to be first. It's a great song but I think the 3 song stretch from the rolling people to to pimp a butterfly is better. Those songs are great. Sadly after this the album falls off slowly and ends up being uninteresting by the end with the exception of the last track which is pretty good. Sadly it's not a good song to have in your Playlist because there's 8 minutes of silence to hide a bonus track. I really hate this style of bonus track listing on Spotify and I wish they would stop doing it. None of the music here is bad and it's all well mixed and produced. But it does drag in the second half. It's between a 3 and 4 so I'll round up

This has a lot of low reviews, I'm surprised. This genre might be tiring for some people, but holy crap do I love this sound. It makes me happy. I fit right in here, 90's take me home. Clear, sort of experimental production, though it's too long and can become generic and monotonous because they tend to end every song the same. This reminds me of past times and therefore I feel comfy all the way through. Fave Songs: Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Rolling People, Lucky Man

An exceptional surprise in every way I went into this very unaware of this group The first track "Bittersweet Symphony" is a song that I instantly knew, but I never knew it was by this group. It is an incredible track and it continues to be a big hit today. That was the only song I knew off of this album. Every other track was the first time I heard it. Rolling People, Space and Time, and Lucky Man were my 3 favorites off this one. Overall, an incredible album that I will definitely be revisiting.

Bittersweet Symphony is the masterpiece on the album and the rest is solid but just not on the same level. Lucky Man comes close, but have never been a fan of Drugs don't work or Sonnet. Space and Time, Weeping Willow are fine. A good album. Not one I return to.

CLASSIC

Brings back memories of high school

Not bad

One hit wonder

Perfectly acceptable

There is definitely a formula they follow. Would not recommend.

Didn't mind the singles from this back in the day. They do capture the mood of the time for me; a more contemplative antidote to the BritPop nonsense. But the more rockist album tracks here didn't do much for me. I have never been a fan of The Doors, unlike this band, clearly. Close, but no cigar.

Christ, this was turgid. Bailed after three tracks. Played some Sam and Dave instead.

Twenty years Bitter sweet symphony was everywhere and I hated it. Never heard the album but now I say it's good (except Bitter sweet symphony), even if he's 'oasising'.

Nothing too special. I can tell why the hits were big but the rest of the tracks didn’t really connect with me. Kinda remind of crowded house.

Shi was fire

Some good songs, but not particularly engaging. Probably didn't need to be a double album.

Extremely good album.

Top

Whoa, this album surprised me a LOT. I was definitely put off by the length going in, but it turned out to be a highly enjoyable listen. I think if I were in a worse mood, I would have found this to be kind of derivative, but something about it felt fresh and novel enough to be enjoyable. Standouts: Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Rolling People, The Drugs Don't Work, Catching the Butterfly

Plodding radio-friendly Britrock. This was inescapable in England when it was released. Really could do with fewer vocal ad lib outros. Not strong.

- Extremely generic britpop past the first track - Feels like a cheaper version of Radiohead with no experimentation - Title track is still a classic though

As excellent as that title track is, the rest of this album comes off as fairly generic. It's well enough made late 90s Britpop, but pretty forgettable. Fave Songs: Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Drugs Don't Work, Lucky Man, Space and Time, Neon Wilderness, This Time

Classic album that combines Oasis and Radiohead sounds into something very 90s. The Rolling Stones had no business suing them for using a sample on Bittersweet Symphony!

Not anything groundbreaking, but a pleasant listen, quite unforgettable in most cases Saved tracks: Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Rolling People, The Drugs Don’t Work, Weeping Willow

I recognize Bitter Sweet Symphony from the radio back in the 2000s. Feels nostalgic. Instrumentation and production is pretty good, don’t like this vocal style too much though. Drums get 👍 Snoozefest... Neon wilderness skip About halfway through, super boring. Yeah didn't care for this album.

My favorite part about this album is that it has Bittersweet Symphony on it. My least favorite part of the album was listening to the rest of the album afterwards. It's fine as an album, but it's another Brit pop album that feels like nothing special to me 3/5

I'll admit to a precise weakness for this tone, but there's also an objective case that the album is not nearly as overstuffed as it appears. It leans hard on the second syllable of Britpop, opens with the unmistakably good, continues strong for an admirable stretch. The sound of the B side pushes patience more than any frontier, but represents decent variety.

Solid album, pretty standard BritPop (which is way overrepresented on this list IMO). Bitter Sweet Symphony is a classic but I've heard it enough for one lifetime. 3 stars.

I have this album and it was always my preferred Verve album. I love all these songs and videos for the singles too. I don’t care that people hear Richard Ashcroft as a whiny northerner. I love his voice and it works as an instrument on its own.

Terrific!

So, I wasn't exactly looking forward to this one due to the recent Verve listen. Seemed a little soon, and I didn't love the last album. I referenced that I owned this one in that review, and that I had struggled getting my teeth into it, despite numerous attempts. I wonder if hearing another of the band's album gave me a new perspective on what they're all about, or maybe I was in the right frame of mind (which is a little scary, considering how depressed these blokes are), but this was a much more connected experience than previous listens. Funny, also, that I was familiar with most of the material. Yes, I had listened to it, but it all seemed to wash right over me. But much of it was still there. Now, I heard lyrics in new ways, and the line about the bag of cats waiting to drown was pretty grotesque. This dude obsesses over some pretty dark feelings. Was he raised in a basement without windows or something? Anyway, it was nice to hear him almost get giddy on "Lucky Man." Hold on, was that a ray of hope buried in there? Despite the depressing vibe, I found this to be a really solid album, much more enjoyable than A Northern Soul for my tastes. And they cap it off with a bang on "Come On."

Meh.

Straight down the middle

3/5 I knew and therefore liked the first song. The rest just kinda blended together. I will go back and relisten cause that was probably on me. It felt very familiar and it was good on the technicals.

Finally something from my era and wheelhouse! Not my favourite band but still an enjoyable stroll down memory lane. Starts out on a high and does unfortunately taper off in quality but still something I really enjoyed. May revisit the 90s BritPop era again soon thanks to this.

Sounds like the Smiths going 90´s Brit-pop

Quite good, but nothing crazy good to me. Very comfortable 3, almost 4

nije njihov najbolji, ali mislim da dam ovdje trojku da bi bio loš čovjek

This album was a mainstay during my original iPod (technically 3rd Gen, blue screen, black text unit) in the late 2000s. Haven’t heard it all the way through since then. I read some of the other reviews before listening again and was surprised so many people were rating it pretty low. Came to the realization that Urban Hymns falls in the same category that I’ve read a bunch of different albums on this list as far as well too. Mostly songs go on way way way too long. I think it’s definitely I was grooving to it during that time because I would be listening with nothing else really going on. Maybe riding the bus home or something. Bittersweet Symphony is obviously the centrepiece and main draw on this one. The lyrics, although pretty simple, are just purely elemental at this point. I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me. I remember in the late 2000s when the Verge reunited and people were in awe of how good Bittersweet Symphony sounded after it, not really being in his eye guys for the past 10 years. I’ve always thought that that is the songs legacy, when you hear it for the first time in a while you’re bowled over by how big it is. I think the only song that’s come close in the past 25 years is The Mother We Share by Chvrches. Equally of a time and already nostalgia triggering. Otherwise, Lucky Man is a song made for walking around during golden hour. And the drugs don’t work is an incredibly depressing song that still works. The Verve are definitely a band You have to listen to more passively, in the background to truly vibe with I don’t know if this is a truly great album, but I am going to give it five stars. It’s firmly in the canon of my musical upbringing.

A pretty, pretty nice album. Some classic singles.

Four really good songs (three of the first four, plus Lucky Man), supported by a lot of less good stuff. I've seen Richard Ashcroft live, supporting someone else (can't remember who). He was quite good, but got visibly frustrated that almost no one knew any of the songs he sang other than Bittersweet Symphony and The Drugs Don't Work. It's too long (even without the 15 minute final track which is mostly silence), and it's a bit beige other than the singles, but they lift it up to a 3/5.

Massivly accomplished album that arise during the Britpop era. Super smoothe production and ace songs with Ashcrofts resonating voice. It perhaps became a bit ubiquitous at the time but its a good album of pop rock.

3-4

It was a solid 4 until I got to the hidden track. Who the hell wants to hear a baby crying, it grates my nerves. Putting music over it doesn't make it edgy, just stop.

Very good

3.5 - .5 extra for Bittersweet Symphony

radio head vibe good

An album for the times, has aged OK. 3/5

"Urban Hymns" is the third studio album by English alternative rock band The Verve. The band split up after their second album and then reformed. Original guitarist Nick McCabe was not in the band when they started recording "Urban Hymns" but eventually rejoined as the band was struggling with the writing and recording. With three guitarists, there is lot guitar layering. This falls in the Britpop stylewise. Some songs I would just classify as rock. It was their best-selling album and won the 1998 Best British album at the Brit Awards. For the most part, the album received very positive reviews. There were some mixed ones as well. The Andrew Oldham Orchestra sample of The Rolling Stones' 1965 "The Last Time" starts off the album and "Bittersweet Symphony." BTW, the band eventually got their royalties from the in 2019 after legal issues. The sample continues and is layered with drums and vocals. Being trapped and powerless to change your behavior beyond control. I liked the video and remember this being a very big song. There's scratchy and easy-sounding layered guitars in "Sonnet." More background keys and strings. A love song. I sort of like their more rockin' songs and Nick McCabe finally in the house on "The Rolling People." Sounds very Black Crowes-esque. "The Drugs Don't Work" hit # 1 in the UK. Acoustic guitar, strings and keyboards. Admittedly autobiographical for lead singer Richard Ashcroft. One of their best songs. "Space and Time" is a nice sounding song with acoustic and electric guitar. At times, this music is a dead ringer for Oasis. More layered acoustic and electric guitars in "Lucky Man." My favorite song on the album. The orchestral bscking music and vocals build to the end. I think it's about finding inner peace and love." "Come on" ends the album. Guitar feedback, wah-wah guitar and drums. More rockin.' It gets more chaotic and fades out. This is more like it. This is a very well-produced album with the layered guitars. Their hits are good and well-deserved success songs. I like the two rockin' songs pointed out. It would have been interesting to see a whole album of that. Maybe, that's what their earlier stuff sounds like. At 75 minutes, there is some filler that could have been trimmed but, overall, a good album.

it's not oasis

Pretty nice but a bit boring

complete toilet

Miserable

Cause its a bittersweet SYMPHONY

Significant snooze, and the bonus track of a baby crying was largely unwelcome.

Är en förbaskat bra platta.

seems like a very popular album but I only like a few of the songs

"The Hit" is a 6 minute long song with the same 8 bars repeated throughout. No tempo, time signature, or chorus/verse changes. It's been crap since I heard it in the 90's and it's crap now. The rest of this is filler. And at a whopping 1 hour 15 minutes... Jesus what were they thinking?

The second album I've now heard from this band because of this list is a little better than the last one, but not by much. The opening track is okay, just because of the violin(?) that is ever present. They even bring it back on another track. They probably knew it was all they had to offer that wasn't total ass. The singing still sucks across the board. Almost a 1, but I'll be nice because I kinda like Bittersweet Symphony. This band has no place being on this list, let alone at least 2 albums. Please God, don't let there be a third.

Lol I was clowning on this album and then next thing I know I’ve listened to it twice back-to-back. This fully dunks me in 90s cheese and I love it

There are elements of interesting music here… but together it is incredibly lame for some reason. If it wasn’t for a few super catchy violin notes on Bittersweet Symphony, I don’t think there would be anything memorable on this album at all.

Outstanding opening track. But, apart from Bittersweet, Lucky Man and Drugs don't work, the album feels very mid.

A couple of good tracks but I really didn't get on with this as an album. At the bottom end of what I expected from the tracks I remembered.

Bitter-sweet, gets mundane after some time

Bittersweet Symphony is 5/5, the rest is like 2-3 range. Classic one hit wonder type of stuff lol.

First time hearing a complete The Verve album. There were at least 2-3 songs that are very recognizable as being hits by them. Easily an album to enjoy with the family in the car.

I feel biased because this album pretty much defined my early adult years. One of the only CDs that was in my car.

It really soft, ballad like and focus on the lyric on some first songs. Not my kind of music. 5th songs sound more psychedelic. Really cool

snooze. always wondered why bittersweet symphony was so popular. emotionless vocals over drums and strings. wow.

It's the hits. Album drags a bit I must say.

Essential brit-pop record with several memorable classics and their great hit "Bitter Sweet Symphony" written by The Rolling Stones.

Have always liked Bitter Sweet Symphony but never thought to get the rest of the album a shot. It was splendid!

Big of nostalgia

Overall the album is fine, there are some tracks I really like, yet there were many that aren't memorable. Fairly generic sounding Brit-Pop and If I played tracks of Oasis and The Verve, I probably couldn't differentiate the two bands and at times, I swear I was listening to U2. Nothing special here, but a pleasant and enjoyable listen. ***1/2

por fin encontre el nombre de esa canción

A few great songs, especially The Drugs Don't Work, but the rest of the album feels weak by comparison and is very forgettable.

Puddle deep moaning elevated by an orchestra.

A fine 90s brit-pop indie album that misses something. Richard Ashcroft is a very good songwriter with an ear for a satisfying melody and he has an arrogant self-assuredness that is satisfying as much as distancing. The album is the equivalent of a britball 442 - tracks are all normal lengths, the singles are spaced out reasonably equally. The album feels like the euros 96. It lacks a romance or imagination to push it into greatness. A pragmatic album with some good songs. The drugs don't work is a highlight in my view.

Bittersweet Symphony was one of my first "favourite songs" of my childhood that I remember clearly, I was around 7 or 8 at the time and it always takes me back. The rest of the album never really clicked with me, but listening to it again now, it is very solid.

Bittersweet Symphony is 5*

Aucun intérêt une fois qu'on a passé les violons et le plagiat du premier morceau.

Un album de bonne facture de la part de The Verve, mais le manque d'urbanité pourtant promise sur le titre de l'album leur empêche d'accéder à la caste très resserrée des 4/5.

Good album, but doesn't speak to me as much as I hoped. Sure, Bitter Sweet Symphony, Sonnet and the Drungs Don't Work are timeless classics, Lucky Man is quite memorable, but of the rest, not much stands out. 3.5/5

Too religious

Kinda reminds me of U2, but worse. Kinda reminds me of Oasis, but worse. Kinda reminds me

I can listen to Bittersweet Symphony anytime. Great song, never listened to this band beyond that though. And yet, there must be a reason I didn't bother to check this out at the time. I was definitely aware of this album but passed on it. We'll see how this goes. Well... that was worse than Oasis and way too long.

><

U2 + Oasis = The Verve

This album was really good It exceeded my expectations. The cover looked pretty cool and I really enjoyed a few songs from this album. I give it a 6/10

I actually expected this album to be better. But the most well-known songs are awesome.

Very unique sound for this band. Good album. Glad I listened to it.

Very impressive album. The feel, tone and melodies are consistently great. I really enjoyed Drugs Don't Work, Lucky Man and Space & Time... i was surprised that track after track is solid and really easy to enjoy/appreciate on the first listen. Adding it to the Library.

Bittersweet Symphony. Classic. One of few decent songs on the album unfortunately.

Self-indulgent trash-ballads

Really good album in its day.

O :4.0 M: 4.2

This gives U2/nirvana crossover vibes not ok

It’s kind of amazing how every Britpop record ever made landed on the 1001 Albums list. I mean, what are the odds? This one’s ok. 76 minutes of Britpop is too long for me.

Me ha gustado más de lo que pensaba que me a gustar. Venga, un 5! The Drugs Don't Work se lo merece.

Better than usual for Britpop, with 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' obviously being my top pick. The rest of the album was fine after that, but I doubt I'll return.

Meh. I find much of this whole Brit Pop thing to be so quarantined to a time...and not in a good way. Sound like early Coldplay. And I've got Blur and Radiohead...don't really need anything else. Though I'll bump this up a notch for "Bittersweet." That is a good song. Reminds me of my dad, who used to have this CD in his car and play that song a lot. Funny I don't recognize or remember my Dad playing a single other song off this album. The "Hidden Track" concept is a fun CD memory. But nostalgia aside, not much jumps out at me here. These songs are too long. The whole album is too long. And "The Verve" and "Urban Hymns" along with track titles like "Neon Wilderness," "Space and Time," and "Velvet Morning" feel like titles and names put together by ad people. There's a bit of classic-rock psychedelia here that is a nice twist and squeeze on the old Brit Pop formula. But it's a far cry from the grit and kaleidoscopic brilliance of The Flaming Lips or Brian Jonestown Massacre. It all feels very safe here. Very classic rock. In a way that both millennial sons and boomer fathers can nod along too. And that sentiment is nice. It's just also a little boring.

I did not love this. There are moments of earnestness, longing, excited energy in the songs, which makes it feel like the records are about to turn a corner. But really, it's just bathed in a morass of pretty bland arrangements, songs that are too long, chord changes and structures that feel uninspired. "The Drugs Don't Work" is genuinely great, and there's something to be said for "Bitter Sweet Symphony" being an undeniable timestamp of the era, of that scene, of what being in middle school was like for every middle schooler in 1997. But even that song don't hold up well! I was looking for something more, and there are hints of it, but I didn't find it.

Great album, best one so far on this list. Some hidden gems

This is a classic album for me and I enjoyed every moment of it!

I don't like these guys

Some great tracks, and a lot of filler.

Our ban hims? Political.

the drugs don't work, and this album has been cut with Vim

Could have done without. pretty meh. 2

Bought it back in the day

This was an absolute chore to get through, every single song was longer than it needed to be and listening to them all back to back was monotonous and grating

No. No. Thrice no.. This album is interminably wanky and Richard Ashcroft is a massive wanker.

This was alright, a bit long and somewhat boring Do not reccomend listen to "One Day" in the shower, it makes it sound likes there's people in your home Last song way too long

Although this isn’t totally up my street, I can appreciate that it’s a great album.

Very solid album. Too bad the Stones screwed them

While this album certainly has it moments (it peaks with the first track), it ultimately suffers under its own weight. Despite the interesting mix of britpop, alternative rock, and psychedelia, the running time makes the album sound very much the same. The Verve are masteries of melody and orchestration, but in the year that saw the release of OK Computer, it falls a bit flat.

Best album so far

Besides Bitter Sweet Symphony, this album didn’t really have any highlights. All of the songs were the exact same. Same instrumental, same lyrics, same mood, everything. This album was by no means a bad album, but it could have been better. To be honest, I forgot that BSS was on this album. Overall, this album is pretty forgettable as The Verge as been a very forgettable band. Rankings: Ovr. -> Weak 7 Best 3: 1. BSS (Favorite) 2. Sonnet 3. TDDW Worst 3: 1. CO/DF 2. TRP (Least Favorite) 3. S&T

It's a shame they were essentially one hit wonders at least in the US, this album is actually very good. Like some albums are a collection of songs but this one really moves nicely, it's cohesive and makes sense without being repetitive. Ill probably listen again soon.

Eh some good songs, but I hate Bittersweet Symphony.

It was so lovely to return to this album. I think, in the future, when any Top 5 representative 1990s Brit (pop) album list is put together, it'll contain this, alongside Definitely Maybe, Parklife, Different Class and OK Computer.

Peak 90's nostalgia that still does the business.

I love how this album goes from huge anthems, to tender songwriting, to expansive almost experimental compositions. Only criticism is the expansiveness means the album it long, too long. Otherwise, cracking set of tunes.

Sonnet remains an absolute classic. Nice to revisit the whole thing again

Very much of it's time but has aged surprisingly well because many albums from that era really haven't. A couple of great tunes.

Christ does this go on a bit. Some great songs, but lots of toothless filler as well. Would have been a 3, but massively outstayed its welcome.

Another album that I had never heard of but enjoyed a lot. Now I'm off to my friendly local record store to see if I can find it. Wish me luck!

Hi, we're The Verve. Not to be confused with the Verve Pipe. We're the band with the one ginormous song that you actually like, but one with a melody we might have borrowed from the Stones. But we gave Mick and Keith songwriting credit on it. The lesson, as always, is Allen Klein is a huge prick. Whatever. When's the last time you listened to "Freshmen" by The Verve Pipe? We even give you a hidden track here at the end, which doesn't mean shit now but was a nice little surprise back in the CD era.

One of my top 10 albums. Takes me back to my college days and good memories.

swerve the verve

I detest bands that include a 'hidden track' on their albums. In this case there is a five minute period of silence before about three minutes of badly meandering random noise. Don't do it. Prior to that though there are 12 tracks of generally uninspiring soft rock. The stand out track is Bitter Sweet Symphony' for which they stole the music from the Stones' 'The Last Time' anyway. The rest is pretty forgetable.

Discount Oasis that is surprisingly better than the real thing - besides the notorious main single which is also still a great song - this record is peppered with very memorable tracks yet it feels a bit too long and the fillers are fillers with not much to remember them by.

Not my style.

Would prefer to give this a 2.5 or 5/10 but due to this rating system it gets a generous 3 stars. This album really dragged The rolling people and catching the butterfly felt really slow with the 7 minute play time, I don't mind a long song but it really didn't feel like there was any major progression or pay off here, just droning back ground music. Coming away from this album I guess I can say I enjoyed the singles and time and space. My biggest issue with this album is it really feels as if most of these songs aren't supposed to be paid attention too and just exist for filler and background noise.

Just Ok for me. Not compelled to listen to it again. Soothing though.

(Most of the album) but especially Catching the Butterfly is very Radiohead (like amnesiac or ok computer ) not a fan of lucky man and bitter sweet symphony though =/ Weeping willow is cool tho! Space and time is so good The drugs don’t work reminds me of some song but I can’t for the life of me remember 😤

I was unaware they wrote \"The Drugs Don't Work\" - I thought it was Ben Harper. Wow. A beautiful, devastating song. It is emblematic of British Arena rock.

Didn't listen to this very much when it came out but it's aged well and is packed with great tunes. A bit bloated perhaps, but some of their finest melodies are on here. Anyone who likes this should check out the first two albums which are peerless for their time. Great stuff!

Love the 90s!

Kind of samey but enjoyable

obviament bitter sweet symphony perque es un puto himne pero dire alguna altra per ferme la alternative: vale no esq es insoportable. no m'ha dit ABSOLUTAMENT RES poso 2 estrelletes per bitter sweet symphony q mha acompanyat tot el cap desetmana

Fine

If an album's only claim to fame is that it has a massive hit on it, then it isn't a good album. Forgettable stuff.

This album was absolutely awful to get through. Everything was boring. When a song did have potential, it was ruined because the song went on for five minutes without changing. I know people like Bitter Sweet Symphony, but I find it grating. Not a fun use of 75 minutes of my life. I'm glad people can enjoy this, but I don't understand. My favourite song was Sonnet.

Overall I found it pretty good. A few misses in the middle of the tracklist but other than that I like the spaceiness of the songs. They're all quite long but most don't really get old. 7/10

Bittersweet Symphony ist der einzige Track, der mich abholt. Sonst eher durchschnittlich.

Pretty solid, harder rock than I remembered (still not hard rock though!)

Pretty bored listening throughout. Bittersweet symphony is the best tune on the album. Pretty wild that they had to cede the all thesong writing credits and royalties because of The Rolling Stones sample. It makes the whole tune though- not much there without it. At its best, it makes me want to listen to other bands that did similar things better Ike Coldplay. Worst song is Lucky Man. Tough to rate 1.5? 2?

Boring

I really enjoyed this album. I had only ever heard BSS before. I really liked The Rolling People.

Nice, mostly the second half.

bland and repetitive

Bittersweet Symphony is one of my favorite songs and really the only song by the Verve that I know coming into this album. The Drugs Don't Work was instantly my new favorite song on the album. Singles: ---------------------------------------------- Bitter Sweet Symphony (UK #2, USA #12, US ALT #3) The Drugs Don't Work (UK #1) Lucky Man (UK #7, #14 US ALT) Sonnet (#74 UK, #4 Iceland) Standouts: Bittersweet Symphony, The Drugs Don't Work, Lucky Man Others: Sonnet

My heart sank when this one came up. Bittersweet Symphony on repeat would be the cruelest torture to subject me to. Repetitive, boring, and topped off with uninteresting lyrics. The song goes nowhere and was somehow a huge hit. I can’t name another song by these guys. There are actually some okay songs on the rest of this album. Getting some Oasis vibes, and the good kind (specifying because they’re half good, half unlistenable). Not much stands out enough to rate it above a 3. And the unfortunate inclusion of Bittersweet Symphony drops the album to a 2 for me.

meh

I was a little surprised to see a band synonmyous with one hit single from my high school days show up on 1001 albums you must hear before you die. As it turns out, there was another single from this album that I recognized as soon as I heard it. But otherwise, the Verve (at least in my world) faded into obscurity after the obssession with "Bittersweet Symphony" died down. Imagine my surprise when I fell in love with this album! Sure, the aforementioned hit song opens this album up with great fanfare, but there's truly nothing else that sounds like it on the rest of the album. Instead, I'm met with an interesting mix of psychedlic Brit-pop tunes. The first five songs really had me thinking this would be an absolute masterpiece, perfect album, but then the middle kind of descended into mediocrity for a bit. Overall, I found myself getting sucked into almost every track and really digging the layers of sound and variety of styles presented by The Verve here.

love

You can't open an album with your biggest hit straight out the gate because then it's just all downhill from there. And this is one big-ass hill. 76 minutes of the most boring, radio-friendly pop imaginable. Uh.. they're better than Oasis at least. Man's got big boots. Look at those boots.

Got the cassette out. Not sure why I've got it as never liked it much. I guess I didn't know until I had it.

3.5/5

Best songs are in the first half but then the second half kinda dragged on. I think what really hurt this album is how long the song where. Don't get me wrong some of the long tracks were good.

3.5

Adorei o álbum e descobri que não é uma banda de uma música só! Muito bom, tranquilo de ouvir, o tempo passa voando. Uma delícia. Melhores músicas: a clássica Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Drugs don't work e One Day.

Shocker, Brit Pop. My brother had this album when I was younger, there's more than the one hit wonder on here, but not enough to justify 75 minutes.

peaceful

Classic Britpop album which suffers from the excesses of the time. Some absolute bangers on here but by Christ it needs some editing. That late 90's coke must've been fucking great. Best Tracks: Bittersweet Symphony; The Drugs Don't Work; Lucky Man

Great album, Go on Richard!!

Listens: 2 Enjoyed: Mostly I think it has some highs and lows. It probably could have been a shorter listening time and increased its rating by removing a song or two. The highs aren't worth mentioning as they're the pretty obvious ones. I'd say a pretty high 3 stars

Opens strong with the one song we all know from the Verve, most of the rest of it had little impact on me, to the point where I was skipping a couple long slogs, oops I mean songs. Almost like a knockoff Radiohead, and as someone who's only sort of into Radiohead, the appeal isn't too strong for me. Favorite tracks: Bittersweet Symphony, Neon Wilderness. Album art: Four guys sitting in a park, with a little lens distortion. I'm sorry, but there's nothing urban in sight. 2.5/5

-Definitely have heard the first song. 7/10 -It's oddly nostalgic? 7/10 -I've noticed old songs are so much longer than modern songs. 3/10 -I feel like I could both sleep and cry to this. 9/10 -Reminds me of \"Dancing Queen\" by ABBA for some reason 8/10 - I forgot it was playing, so I guess it was decent. 7/10 -Title is very fitting. 7/10 -The songs all sound very similar. 6/10 -Got slightly more interesting, but I'm starting to get tired of the album. 8/10 -Got good again, reminds me of a song from \"The Wall\" I think. 9/10

2.5.

Ok

Brought me back to high school days! I only knew their more famous hits (e.g., Bitter Sweet Symphony) but have never listened to one of their albums before. It was good- they have a U2-type sound. Easy music to work to. There's a "hidden track" 13 min into the last song on the album- not worth waiting for. It's 2 min filled with psychedelic music with something that sounds like either a crying baby or cat in heat...Just stick to the original tracks on the album.

I had a copy of this album back in high school but never really listened to it.of course, Bittersweet Symphony is the best known track, but to be honest, I’m so sick of that song. Listening to the rest of the album, I actually liked it. Gives a lot of Robbie Williams and maybe Jane’s Addition type vibes.

Good god, nope.

me lo aspettavo meglio, abbastanza noioso e melenso

non mi è piaciuto molto. bitter sinphony la conoscevo e mi piace, le anltre non me le ricordo neanche

Fine, kinda sounded like u2

Átti fína spretti, en ég bara get ekki Richard Ashcroft

Still a great album with some top tunes

Classic depression

The singles are really good, they sound pretty dreary on their album tracks, might improve with more listens

I can appreciate that the album is very good, just not for me.

A few good songs with Bitter Sweet Symphony being top tier. Overall an alright album.

I love melancholia but think this album is a bit much! The hits are great, but played to death. Lucky man is probably the best song imo

Classic soft rock album! It is nothing special but for me it works. I listened to the album while taking a walk and that was perfect. Just easy going and that’s all. Favourite songs: - Bitter sweet symphony - The drugs don’t work - Lucky man

A week after giving '90s Britpop shit, I get a Britpop album I actually enjoy. Maybe it's because this feels a little more rock 'n' roll than the others I've gotten thus far? Maybe it's the fact that the album's full of legitimate existential musings rather than treacly, angst-ridden love songs? I honestly don't know. One thing I do know is that "Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a fantastic song. It's Britpop done right, and one of the defining tracks of the '90s from any genre. At the time of its release, it was played, overplayed, then overplayed some more, and while my interest in adding it to my playlists may have waxed and waned over the years, I enjoy it thoroughly every time I hear it. As for the rest of the album, the biggest surprise for me was "The Drugs Don't Work." I first ran across the song on Ben Harper's "Live from Mars" album, and thought it was one of his own songs. Discovering it on this album was definitely another point in the Verve's favor. The rest of the album didn't exactly knock my socks off, but I think I need to give it another listen or two. It appears that Richard Ashcroft is a talented songwriter, and I suspect I'll find more to enjoy if I pay closer attention. Gonna give this three stars, but I wouldn't be surprised if I listen to it some more and end up thinking it should have been four.

Definitely a 90s album with sounds reminiscent of U2, Stone Roses & Oasis. It was a bit too long for me, but enjoyed it all in all. 3.5

I just can't seem to get into BritPop from this era.

Got a lot of sentimental love for this album, but not quite 5 stars

Not for me. Everyone recognises Bitter Sweet Symphony and it’s a classic, but the songs all just sounded too similar and went on for way too long.

'Bitter Sweet Simphony' remains a classic. Some other good tracks, but also some generic stuff. Overall ok-ish album. 3/5

Better than I anticipated. I had always felt the Verve was Bitter Sweet Symphony and not much else, but the whole album is a decent listen. 3.5/5

much better than northern soul - real britpop classics on here

The Verve have officially graduated into "Mild and Forgettable", a step up from their previous class of "Boring to the Point of Physical Pain."

A hair of bloat for my tastes, but everything on it was tasty enough, and had an overall aesthetic I enjoyed quite a bit.

Ahh two things I really hate: britpop and long albums. Did this need to be 75 minutes for a bland mix of similar sounding songs? Besides the opening track which I'd heard around before, the rest sounded identical and I'm hard pressed to remember the difference between the tracks. And seriously 75 fucking minutes of this shit? Cut out half of it and maybe I'll enjoy it little more.

It’s a bittersweet symphony

Idk why but this guys voice annoys me for some reason

it is an album filled with hymns of my generation, but it can get a bit repetitive after a few listens, 8/10

For some reason I had to listen to this twice to decide how I felt about it. I think it's good but not great, it's too long and kind of blends together

+Great production quality +BIttersweet Symphony is still a great song +Some cool decorations of strings and stuff in the mix -Vocalist not especially emotive or expressive, despite trying to be -Sounds like Oasis -British -Padded song lengths and filler to reach max CD capacity. Emblematic of era. -Booooooooorrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnng 2/5

classic

Good record

hasn't aged very well. some excellent song that hold up but a lot of filler.

Was excited when I recognized the first song, but my introduction to The Vurve is underwhelming to say the least. Most the tracks have the same tempo, the lyrics are dull and lack emotion, and the production is mediocre at best. Add on the fact each song is 3x longer than it should be and I can’t say there’s any reason to revisit this thing. Stick to Bitter Sweet Symphony and throw the rest out.

Pop elegante británico y sin contemplaciones. Voz característica. Alguna canción muy recordada

Alright, the songs I know are good but not sure about the rest

Was an overall good album, kept my attention and had some great melancholic songs although I felt like it dragged on for too long

Another album from which I'd only heard the hits (a lot) before this project. It was OK, though not sure I'd bother going back to it

Surprised

Not much of a britpop guy but I enjoyed this album. Nice guitar tone and melodies and solid lyricism. I'd listen again.

Not fully my style but still a good listen

Some classic somgs

(3.8) Really enjoyed the full album. I had heard a few of the songs prior. Lucky Man was my favorite

Legendary Brit pop album

nothing new but still good

I wonder if you have to be British to get on with this album, there's something of the overcast skies, chewing-gum-pavement, mangy pigeon vibe to it. In a good way. I think.

Will listen again. Solid album. No complaints. Best songs: The Rolling People, Space and Time, the Drugs Dont Work

Niet zo pakkend.

Interesting album. Not something I'd normally go for but I liked it

An excellent album from my childhood. Not quite top drawer but still an excellent listen.

Probably my favorite album when I was living the late 90’s. Reminds me of nightlife in the city, winter. As for the music, I always like the synth and vocals, echo effects. I didn’t notice all the reference to pills earlier. Go back and listen to Slide Away, the bass line and “So take your time…” it’s a vibe.

I've always thought of The Verve as being one-hit wonders. That assessment was correct. But man, what a one-hit wonder! Very few songs bring the late 90's rushing back like Bitter Sweet Symphony! Coming out around the same time as that other deep one-hit wonder, The Freshmen (by The Verve Pipe, no less. Coincidence? I think not), it brings back memories of hanging out in Athens OH, finishing my MA, and thinking - 'man, this is deep'. And man, was it. The rest of the album isn't bad - but it's like a montage scene in Felicity (before she cut her hair). It's there, and it's VERY definitely late 90's, but I don't need to hear most of it again. But that first song....DEEP, man.

I was pretty shocked how much I liked this.

'Bittersweet Symphony' is an alright tune, overshadowed by all that Rolling Stones business. This didn't annoy me until the song about 'Looking back on my life' and, coming from a 26-year-old, that's a little bit rich. I don't agree that this was the best alt album of 1997, especially when OK Computer came out the same year. This slipped into the background and into oblivion. Not a lot for me here.

Incredible how this was such a big album back in the day. Take the worst aspects of Oasis, mash with the uninteresting bits of World of Twist, lard it all with draggy tempos and voila, you have Urban Hymns. Imagine, if you will, a damp late autumn day in the UK. Outside the sky is slate grey, and greasy rivulets of rainwater slide down the windowpane. In front of you is a half-burned, half-pink sausage swimming in beans and soggy mushrooms. This is a tolerable life you have found for yourself. Urban Hymns by the Verve is playing on the stereo.

good for work(?. really urban Hymns ha

Way too self-serious. Singer sounds bored so I am too. Insufferable. Never got Bitter Sweet Symphony either. One of the most overrated songs I've heard. Space and Time was pretty good - singer is finally emoting.

Way better than I was expecting! I forgot about all their old hits and the rest of the songs have aged well.

Not really my thing but what a tune Bittersweet is

Very Oasis like at points. Sounds a bit like Robbie Williams too.

Space and Time, Weeping Willow und natürlich Bittersweet Symphonie sind toll Zweite Hälfte ist besser

I think the most popular track is just that for a reason, the music was good but I couldn’t really tell one track from the next

Yup. Kinda busy at work, nothing day. Progress on horizon, but average days are okay

There were maybe 1 or 2 decent songs but most of this album was a bit of a dirge and almost put me to sleep.

the album was just boring and long. it started off okay but just got so “is it over yet????”

That big single ("Bitter Sweet Symphony") was and remains just as annoying as possible. Hated and continue to hate it. So I wasn't too excited to get this album. But! It admittedly all changes immediately with the second song "Sonnet" - nothing groundbreaking at all but it's a hell of a lot nicer than cut 1 and a huge contrast. It's decent brit-pop. But after getting through it, it never strikes me as anything beyond that. Is it levels above Suede/Pulp/Oasis/generic1995UKband? Maybe, maybe not. I think one major detraction is the utter and complete lack of vocal range - I don't need or even necessarily want someone with the most beautiful voice but on too many songs ("This Time" jfc ugh) there's literally no adventure or reaching out - no alternate melodies, often just one or two notes. Horribly distracting. It's the kind of album I could put on and nobody would complain and yet nobody would remember either. 5/10 2.49 stars. Perfectly generic and safe mid-90s UK album.

Hearing Bittersweet Symphony at nauseum in the 90's caused me to never want to hear it again. I've avoided it. It's a good song and this is a good band. Better than they get credit for. That being said, I'll still avoid it.

Bitter sweet symphony isn’t even the best song on this album.

Love the Verve. Feel like their timeless

Bitter Sweet Symphony holds a special place in my mind palace, with fond memories of my childhood and it's memorable chamber repeating through the airwaves. I didn't know anything else about the verve beyond that, nor did I care to. The Verve comes from the wave of britpop in the 90's, but separates itself from the pack with a neo-psych edge. The result is pretty cool rock music that is overly long. I can't stand these 70-minute albums man they just lose my interest. Instead of me enjoying the songs it just kinda became a blur as it went on. It's pretty good but I would not listen to this in full again.

Front loaded with singles but populated with long drawn out tracks with nothing happening. Weeping Willow was a bit of a high point but the album tracks are mostly forgerrable

Like Oasis, early 90s alt rock/pop sound. One notch psychedelic, apparently this is part of Shoegaze which is a genre I'm unfamiliar with. Both acustic guitar and electric. Single male vocalist. Maybe 5 or 6 out of 10, not unpleasant to continue listening to.

The vibe of all of these sounds similar to BSS, but less brooding and sad maybe. I'd listen again.

My first encounter with this band was "A Northern Soul". I described that album as "shoegaze-ic Oasis". I didn't think that they're an Oasis riff off. But after hearing this, I changed my mind. But that doesn't mean that it's worse than "A Northern Soul". In fact, this is more enjoyable, despite the cheap britpop vibe of it. It's much more popular. But in terms of sound, it's more basic and therefore less interesting. I really can't decide which of the two albums are better. But between Oasis and The Verve, it's clear which.

This album was very unusual, the first song everyone's heard but the rest were much better. 7/10

Just one long song

Так хорошо начался и так уныло продолжился. Плохо...

Remove the 4 big singles and you are still leaft with a consistently good album, the final refinement of the Verve sound (mid-paced winding and wistful with the occasional outburst of pissed off vocals and angry guitars). Only four stars because it is only one song, a great song, done in 10 slightly different versions.

Solid

A bit more varied than I expected, some of their tracks that I used to hate I have more appreciation for now, but I still find that they drone on a bit.

I guess I'm just not into mellow brit pop unless it's Pulp. This was a chore to listen to.

Overlong, incredibly self-indulgent, and full of pedestrian rhymes and plodding melodies. There’s nothing here that groups like Oasis and Blur weren’t already doing-and doing better.

Zombie rock drivel from Glastolad lug nuts. Good for a pre-football match chant and a good racist head kicking (probably). Whatever era they think they're reviving doesn't exist except in the Sunday Mirror. I hate this.

Bittersweet symphony opening track. what a banger. I know I've listened to this whole album before but I'll sit down and pay attention this time. I added a couple of these songs to my spotify, pretty solid mix of psych, shoegaze and britpop. Didn't know that bittersweet symphony sampled rolling stones!

This was far better than some of the bland pop that mimicked it.

Classic album!

Despite some of the more experimental instrumental tones on this album, it ultimately ends up a slog of standard 90s light radio fare. Whiny vocals and a general lack of melodic/thematic focus don't help either. If I never have to hear the pained violin intro to 'Bittersweet Symphony' again it'll be too soon.

I listened to this one quite a bit back in the day. It has four great songs, a couple of decent other ones, and then much noodling and sonic mis-adventures. I still like it though.

A few hits but a lil dull for my liking. Soz.

Cosmic indie. Gets well derided this album… but that’s unfair. Very special LP!

Bittersweet Symphony incredible. Album feels a bit like U2 or simpler Oasis, pleasant alt/radio rock. 'Space and Time', 'Catching the butterfly', other good tracks

-"Bitter Sweet Symphony" was pleasant -"The Rolling People" gets pretty heavy -End of "Weeping Willow" with the echoey vocals under the main vocals is cool -Super cool and heavy in "Come On." The mix of the guitar and keyboard and drums grooving along is super solid -I really hate hidden tracks in this style. "Come On" is a great track but there's just 6 of silence before the "Deep Freeze - Hidden Track" starts -The hidden track, "Deep Freeze - Hidden Track" is an interesting spooky, computery, squeaky thingy -Overall, cool slightly chiller alt-rock album. Does not fall into the common pitfalls of some music like this where it is just super boring. There's enough dynamics and instrumentation and stuff to keep it interesting

Cool sound, much more my style than Bruce

very vervey

The album is just fine, inoffensive but nothing stands out about it. The length of the songs makes the album feel like it drags on.

Didn’t know anything other than bittersweet symphony. Sounds like older Radiohead. Didn’t know Wilco - drugs don’t work is a cover. Really sounds like The Bends era Radiohead. Lucky man is a good chorus

I know this album well and listened to it on earphones this time around. It’s a masterclass on creating atmosphere.

The rest of the album doesn’t stand up at all to the first track. (prior rate)

Pretty good. A little slow for my tastes but there's some stand out tracks (Bittersweet Symphony, Space and Time, This Time and Velvet Morning).

Bittersweet Symphony is a throwback hit. This is like a slower, proto-Muse. Its pretty inoffensive.

I remember when "Bitter Sweet Symphony" came out, and perhaps it was the saturation of that song on the radio that helped keep me from listening to more from The Verve. "Lucky Man" is the only other track on Urban Hymns that I was familiar with. I was surprised how much I liked the album. I had some favorite tracks ("The Rolling People", "Space and Time", "Lucky Man"), but no true stand out selections. The album was just good overall. The final track felt like the band was trying to show a harder edge, which was enough to keep me from rounding up to a full 4 stars.

idk, it’s okay I guess WAAAYYY too derivative of U2, imo but still pretty good I guess it’s a 7/10 for me

Britpop muy animado. Un megahit. Un 4.

Me ha gustado más de lo que pensaba que me a gustar. Venga, un 5! The Drugs Don't Work se lo merece.

This album is probably in my top 10 of all time, let alone top 1001. In 1997 I had just entered my teenage years, full of angst and dealing with a bereavement. The summer holidays were spent with a heavy emphasis on watching music TV and you couldn't go more than about 30 mins without The Box (channel 17) VH1 (23) or MTV (30) playing Bittersweet Symphony. A family friend bought me Urban Hymns on CD and wow, it was so much more than BSS. Full of feeling and resonating as much with my teenage psyche as it does now I played all 74 min of it over and over. The culmination of the album with the 'big fuck you' in Come On also features one of my favourite lyrics - I must be feeling low / I talked to god in a phonebox on my way home / I told you my answer / I left you my dreams on your answering machine

Pretty good

Please stop making me listen to this awful drivel

I’ve herd this one once before and my god it’s long ( not bad though)… The album starts with bitter sweet symphony an extremely powerful orchestral rocker initially I found it odd as the album’s opener but one I listened on seemed like there was no other option! Sonnet is a solid acoustic rocker with an explosive arse chorus whats not to like? Then is the rock heavy song the rolling people it’s amazing to some extent as because of the songs sheer length you’ll probably know the chorus off by heart in listen one but it just seems too long for this song. The drugs don’t work is the verve’s intensely beautifully amazing swan-song it’s not my favourite track but it’s the best you know! (For the next 4 songs the album takes a psychedelic turn) Starting with catching the butterfly like the rolling people this one does drag a little but it’s still a fine psychedelic rock song and one of the albums best. Neon wilderness is this trippy interlude showing we’re fully plunged in the drugs for a while. Unique but not a fan. Well space and time is less druggy than I remember it still is a little druggy but it’s mostly brought on by the guitars in the verses.The best bit is the rocking chorus though. Weeping willow is still how I remember it though an amazing dramatic little psychedelic rocker with an amazing chorus to end off this section of the album. Then is lucky man an odd duck in the tracklist feeling like it should be on the more acoustic/ rock based first third but actually being placed in between the psychedelic second third and the somewhat forgettable last third. The song itself is my favourite of the album though amazing chorus! One day starts this mixed bag of a final third thing one is one of the worst ones just a dull little sad song nothing really appeals to me here to be honest. This time is oddly unique yet generic as it experiments with more hip hop sounding instrumentation which is cool but the song just feels so dull. Velvet morning picks up the quality of the album being a slower beautiful little acoustic song with a thundering chorus could’ve closed the album on its own. As the closer come on is the oddest pick to close an album with its a heavy psychedelic 6 minuter but somehow it works don’t get why great tune. I think one the generator it’s overall a little overrated compared to the rest of britpop being an average of around 3.5 while which is similar masterpieces like pulps different class and oasis and blurs albums and somehow greater in rating than both suede’s album’s which were ultimate gems of Britpop. But rant aside it’s good but with way too many tracks that dull it down from being as good as the album’s I mentioned previously… Oh I forgot deep freeze is shit!

So glad to meet you

Il y a du bon et du moins bon. C’est très proche cousin d’Oasis. Bittersweet symphony a un son qui lui est propre qui fait qu’on veut y revenir, malgré le I-V-VI-IV apparent. Le reste est agréable, sans plus.

Bitter Sweet Symphony est un classique. L'utilisation du sampling de cordes est vraiment réussie (quoi qu'en écoutant l'originale, je crois que c'est plus une réinterprétation, mais ça fonctionne à mort). Les guitares à la fin de Rolling People sont très cool. Malgré ces points positifs, c'est long comme album. La qualité n'est pas là pour garder mon intérêt jusqu'au bout. De la grosse Britpop avec l'attitude pis toute, mais pas aussi accrocheur que Blur ou Oasis. Pièces préférées: Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Rolling People, The Drugs Don't Work

I once listened to A Storm in Heaven about a year ago in my car and it just flew by without me paying attention to any of the songs. I quickly realized it's an album I'd have to sit back and listen to... I have yet to re-visit it. But here we have Urban Hymns, a later album I had only known for the hits "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and "Lucky Man." Reading up on the band, they shift from shoegaze into pure Britpop. Two comments: (1) I've heard this trend plenty of times before in early Suede (Drowners) and Blur (Oily Water), and (2) this is complete bullshit. These songs are still very heavy in psychedelia, having a fuzzy space sound reminiscent of Flaming Lips or Spiritualized. Combined with Will Malone's strings produce a symphonic effect in the hits which explains the impact they have on people. I'm personally a bigger fan of the psychedelic deep cuts. It's slow, melancholic, and atmospheric, with his somber vocals staying consistent throughout the entire ride. Despite being over an hour long, there are only 13 tracks, each well fleshed out. They all left an impression on me, although I do admit I started to lose attention in the final stretch after "Lucky Man." But honestly "This Time" (so energetic!) and "Velvet Morning" (that country influence!) are both awesome tracks, so that confirms "One Day" is the weak link that should be cut. Whoever says they're generic is just a flat liar... they're clearly Britpop but it's too cloudy to be lumped together with anyone else. People already complain about how different the Big 4 of Britpop sound from each other, no need to pull The Verve into this label too. I could see why one might think that though, as the songs didn't innovate much and mostly stuck to a formula that I assumed followed from their only earlier work. Sure, I like the effects, violin(?), and swirly guitars, but I couldn't say much about the riffs, bass, or drums beyond they're fine and mixed well. The only other complaint I can offer is to reduce the length, as the hour+ is a bit too uncomfortable. I can only understand how unbearable it can be for people who are not as crazy as I am about their sound.

I was really bored by this album. I really didn’t like any songs and it all just kinda dragged

the first song i like a lot but the rest weren’t very interesting to me.

Nope. Gives me the willies. I adore urban hymns, but this is just derivative indie rock sh*te

Moments of brilliance interspersed with banality.

3 alright

C'était bien

ok oasis (j'ai écouté d'une oreille)

Bitter Sweet Symphony, Lucky Man, The Drugs Don't Work, Sonnet...what tunes!! The rest might not be everyone's cup of tea but I enjoyed them. A solid album of very 90's vibes.

The album starts with two great songs. But then it dilute in mediocre songs, with some exceptions. However, the album it is a good selection of brit pop of the end of the 90s.

I am not sad enough for this album apparently... Gonna give it a 3 because its not bad, but the songs seemed to drag on

I started listening to this and thought 'ohhh this song' and 'just a knock-off Oasis'. And to be clear, I still stand by those thoughts...but a few tracks like 'One Day' and 'The Drugs Don't Work' gave me more respect for the album. Feels better than a 3, but not enough for a 4.

+This Time Beyond Bittersweet Symphony, it's a fine album, though most of the tracks seem to be longer than they should be. I felt like I was listening to some reasonably decent brit-pop, which would be at home next to some Mansun and Manic Street Preachers. I think the standout for me was This Time.

urban crackers being cringe