“Hey man, so, have you heard that rad number called ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’? The band ripped off The Stones but damn what a tune!”

20 years ago today, Urban Hymns sought to challenge the standards of space-rock and alternative. As an album still revered by many as one of the best ever, I’d say it more than made good on that promise.

Unfortunately, the band is infamous only for the track referenced in the beginning of this review. Which is such a shame. Because IMO, it’s barely the best track on this album. Read on.

14 tracks on this album and lead singer Richard Ashcroft strolls through them taking on life, happiness, inner demons… the works. Look beyond the catchy tunes and pop vibe, and you’ll find a hurricane of emotions underneath.

Let’s start with the trumpeting elephant in the studio – ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, also the opener of the album. Yes, the violin sample was recorded by The Rolling Stones. And yes, they got sued. But that tune isn’t all the track is. Ashcroft & Co. have crafted a timeless song around it, one with heartfelt lyrics that made me stop in my tracks on first listen. This song perfectly captures the core of the album –  gazing inward and grappling with the uncertainties within.

‘Sonnet’ and ‘The Rolling People’ (heh, rolling) are light-hearted, energetic tunes – quite different from the more psychedelic ones on here. “WE GOTTA GO”, yells Ashcroft amidst some sick guitar bends that remind me of ‘Nothing As It Seems’ era Pearl Jam. Bass on point, as are the drums.

But it’s on the darker, deeper songs that the band shines. ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ – my personal favourite on this album – has some truly melancholic, aching instrumentation. Ashcroft sounds like he’s about to break into a million pieces. He’s at the bedside of someone dear to him, who’s at that stage when all medicine fails. Nick’s guitar slides without any inertia at all and hides when there’s enough going on. God is that guitarist good at picking the right moments to add a note here, a bend there.

You know the LSD’s kicking in when ‘Catching The Butterfly’ begins. “Elusive dreams”, indeed. You tell me The Verve don’t like their pills, and I’m gonna point at the flying pigs in the sky.

‘Neon Wilderness’ is a treacly, layered track feat. Ashcroft mumbling sleepily. And what a gloriously trippy one it is! ‘Space and Time’ follows, and he seeks comfort so that his night can pass. “Ain’t got no lullaby… oh no no no”. Richard indulges and murmurs on every track including this one without restraint, often singing “no no no no no” on repeat, and he knows a billion ways to say “yeah”. It all lends a singularly unique character to his style of singing.

I’m 87% sure McCabe broke his wah pedal when recording ‘Weeping Willow’. He makes his guitar wail and cry spectacularly, and compliments with relentless riffs. “Weeping willow, the pills under my pillow.” I’d love to know your interpretation of this song in the comments below.

‘Velvet Morning’ is a spacey build up to the face-melting ‘Come On’. Man, do they rock out on this one – I didn’t think McCabe would dive balls-out into the deep end. Good times 😀 It closes the album on a high note, although there’s a hidden track right after (you’ll have to figure that one out, I ain’t giving everything away.)

Urban Hymns was a revelation to me. I was orgasming over very much into Radiohead, Sigur Rós and the like when I heard this tornado of an album, and I loved it from the get-go. This album brims with warmth. If you like space-rock with a wide-open heart, get this.

If you disagree, I’m just gonna go ohhh no no no no no no no no no no no no no…