Prior to their full-length debut,
A Storm in Heaven, psychedelic alterna-popsters
the Verve issued a self-titled EP. None of these songs appear on any of their other albums (except for a lengthy live version of "Gravity Grave," which can be found on the
No Come Down compilation), and they show that the band was capable of greatness in its formative stage. Although not as hard-rocking as future releases would be (e.g., 1995's excellent
A Northern Soul),
The Verve EP succeeds with tripped-out, ethereal pop, which is consistently haunting and beautiful. Both "A Man Called Sun" and "She's a Superstar" were early fan favorites, as was the aforementioned "Gravity Grave." Also included are the tracks "Endless Life" and the moody album closer, "Feel," which is over ten minutes long. Worth the time of any serious
Verve fan. ~ Greg Prato