The Verve - A Northern Soul - Red Vinyl (National Album Day 2025)

Subsumed in myth and hearsay, the backdrop to the making of The Verve's second album, issued in July 1995, has been thoroughly documented. It is a matter of record that the turbulent chemistry within the band during its making forced the first fracturing of their union shortly after its release, but listening now it is also clear that it is one of the finest rock albums of the era. As such it is a worthy addition to the UK National Album Day 2025 celebration of the genre; a record of towering musicianship on which four lads from Wigan delivered more than an hour of frequently heavy, brooding and confessional grooves, with their trademark psychedelic blooms and affecting melodies in full effect.