Although clearly the Verve don't consider themselves small enough to all get in the chair like the Small Faces did...

I’ve been listening to the Verve’s Urban Hymns.

That might sound odd, but you have to remember, I actually missed it the first time around. In 1997 I was in primary school. Probably about 9 years old. CDs were a thing. But I was more interested in video games probably.

The album is hectic. In a similar way to Oasis, the band has a swagger and an arrogance that goes well with their music. The music itself is intense. It rises and falls, a wall of synchronised sound, creating a crescendo of overlapping guitars and synthy additions. It’s completely the opposite to bands like the Jam, the Libertines or Arctic Monkeys, whose music tends to be scrappy and raw and full of holes in between the instruments.

I have a few standout tracks. Bittersweet Symphony, obviously, but also Space and Time and Lucky Man. But like listening to Be Here Now, it seems a waste to just listen to one song when the whole album has such a groove. So I just leave it on.

The more I do listen to it, the more I am reminded of Noel Gallagher’s comments in my previous post about working class bands not coming up and I think I know what he means. There's not a lot like this out there at the moment.

There is a specific sound associated with that late 90s period that really seems to hit it for me. Call it Britpop if you want. But for me, music from bands like Oasis and The Verve embody a kind of youthful optimism, bringing with it hazy sunshine and summer. I feel like the music’s in my blood.

I would say I’m being nostalgic. But as I said, I wasn’t there, man.