The Verve - Urban Hymns

The Verve’s Urban Hymns, originally released in 1997, stands as a defining moment of late-’90s British rock—an album that not only captured the spirit of its time but transcended it. Now reissued for 2025 on heavyweight 180g black vinyl, this 2LP set offers a fresh pressing of a multi-platinum classic that remains as emotionally resonant and sonically rich as ever.

Anchored by the sweeping, string-laden anthem “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” Urban Hymns launched The Verve into global superstardom. But the album’s depth extends far beyond its best-known track. Songs like “The Drugs Don’t Work,” “Sonnet,” and “Lucky Man” showcase frontman Richard Ashcroft’s introspective lyricism and soaring vocal performances, while the band’s psychedelic textures and orchestral flourishes elevated their sound into something both timeless and immediate.

Urban Hymns is not only one of the best-selling British albums of all time—it’s a cultural touchstone, a melancholic, majestic soundtrack to hope, heartbreak, and everything in between. This 2025 reissue restores the album’s full sonic impact with pristine analog warmth, reminding us why it remains essential listening more than two decades later.