New Verve Demo

The Verve became the latest band to ride the wave of 'free music downloads for all' on Monday when they released their first demo since reforming as a band. If you want to download it, click this link, fill in the form and you'll receive a link to get the download from.

Since 'Urban Hymns' and the band's splitting up, I wasn't that keen on what happened afterwards though. Richard Ashcroft's solo albums were boring and disappointing, and Simon Tong was in the Damon Albarn supergroup The Good The Bad And The Queen, also boring and disappointing.

So you can understand why I've been sceptical of this re-formation. But I decided to hold back my feelings about the re-formation and downloaded the 14-minute long demo, called 'The Thaw Sessions', two days ago. I've had to listen to it a few times to grasp the whole thing.

My opinion? Not too bad. The drumming is steady, the bassline is looping, the guitars, as ever with previous Verve songs in their heyday, are atmospheric and Ashcroft croons at certain moments. It is definitely the sound of The Verve. It gives me some hope that the new album might just be worth listening to.

DIGG IT!