Richard Ashcroft – Lovin’ You
Depending on your views, Richard Ashcroft is either Britpop’s idiosyncratic genius or an overrated memory of the reasons for its demise.
As The Verve’s frontman, his plaintive vocals and exaggerated swagger seemed to dominate the second half of 1997, with the track Bittersweet Symphony and its video becoming a pop culture touchstone. Their album Urban Hymns was a monster hit, knocking Oasis, who Ashcroft has supported on their reunion tour, off the number one spot.
However, it marked Britpop’s comedown rather than heralding a new creative peak. The Verve split, and while Ashcroft enjoyed some solo success, pop moved on while he didn’t – other than to the Soccer AM sofa. Critical reassessments of that era have sought to recast him as more grumpy guitar bloke than musical savant.
An honest appraisal of Ashcroft’s new record, Lovin’ You, should sit somewhere in between. There’s plenty for devotees to love and reminders of why the Wigan lad once prompted such praise; yet also a plodding conservativity that stops it soaring to become a triumphant comeback.
Lead single Lover is an old-school Ashcroft epic that lifts from Joan Armatrading’s Love and Affection. It’s a nice enough anthemic love song, though some of its lyrics are so clumsy they should only be allowed safety scissors.
Out of these, Blues showcases the 54-year-old in his element – the melancholic indie ballad – while the rockier Heavy News is the kind of wailing stomper that 20 years ago would have been played to death on XFM.
Oh L’Amour is so downbeat as to be dreary, but is followed by Lovin’ You’s boldest track: the disco-infused I’m a Rebel is a collaboration with sometime Madonna producer Mirwais. It’s kitsch, camp, and wouldn’t sound entirely out of place on a Scissor Sisters record. Quite the departure for one of indie’s arch-miserabilists – but all the better for it as it sets Ashcroft’s undoubted songwriting talent in an exciting new context.
Sadly, it doesn’t herald a more creative second half – with one notable exception, the title track, which oddly marries hints of folk rock with big beat. Live with Hope, Crimson Fire and Fly to the Sun are fine in isolation, but they are just that – fine. Together, they end the album with something of a well-trodden whimper.
Overall, Lovin’ You is perfectly listenable. If you’re an Ashcroft fan, then several songs would sit perfectly well in a playlist of the old hits. But despite occasional hints of evolution, that’s mostly all there is.
Mark Worgan
Image: Dean Chalkney
Lovin’ You is released on 10th October 2025. For further information or to order the album, visit Richard Ashcroft’s website here.
Watch the video for Lovin’ You here:
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