The history of rock and roll is strewn with examples that talent is not an unlimited resource, but has a shelf-life; it is a well that will eventually run dry and that appears to be the case with The Verve’s latest release, “Fourth.” There are few perfect things in music of the modern era, hell, any era, but one of those perfections is “Urban Hymns’, by the English band, The Verve fronted by Nick McCabe, Simon Tong, Simon Jones and drummer Leon Parr. Released in 1997, it was their third album and quickly became an instant classic that created a new sub-genre of British rock that transformed them into icons producing the world-wide hit, “Bitter Sweet Symphony.” Every track jumps off the CD transforming the listener into complete bliss; an album so mind-blowing good that it stands as one of those few moments when artistry and mainstream commercialism live in harmony creating one of the most complex and rewarding pieces of work in modern rock. After their American breakthrough and ready to take the world over, internal strife, illness, constant touring and lawsuits forced the band apart in 1998. Lead singer Richard Ashcroft became a solo success and continued to fuel the rumors that someday a reunion would happen and when it finally did, for a tour in 2007, fans and the press was salivating at the prospect of new Verve material. So it pains me to say how truly underwhelming their enormously anticipated follow-up, is. With hardly any emotions to thematically cling to, the album is instantly forgettable. Each song is dull as a silent fart and the composition as a whole is dreary and one-note and certainly not up the band’s previous greatness; meandering and workman-like is the initial reaction. This is the first album by a major release in many years that leaves me totally clueless as to what it’s about. It’s slow and deliberate and it works for a while, but the album never takes off. McCabe never lets loose and the writing does not approach the sharpness of UH. The album is over-produced as if to give meaning to their trite lyrics. The first track, “Love is Noise” is the only track to emerge to remind the listener of the band’s greatness, despite its clichéd lamenting on the tragedy and ecstasy of love. “The Drugs Don’t Work” was a popular hit from “Urban Hymns,” and we believed them until now- sobriety doesn’t work either as the gang seems to have gotten too rich, fat and boring during their hiatus to mine any emotion, experiences or thought worth a damn. Ten years apart should have provided a dearth of material, but instead, their output is too internal and compacted resulting in unyielding flatness. The band’s trademark vibrancy is conspicuously missing. The hype surrounding the album reached ridiculous heights and ultimately proved hollow, yet despite my slightly harsh opening salvo, I have faith future projects will restore this bands original prominence.