Packing a whopping sixteen tracks, ‘Verb’ marks our point of entry into Norm Archer’s artistic universe, a place that’s guitar-laden yet very imaginative. As a listener, you’ll never know where you might end up, although the general vibe seems to revolve around jungly power-pop and epic, relatable lyricism. ‘The Hell of Neighbours’ introduced the album with a playful and straightforward guitar riff, leaving ample space for anthemic vocals and an uplifting, familiar flair. ‘Sea Still There’ feels more evocative and melancholic, yet still embracing the project’s signature fuzzy guitar tones.
‘Saundry Man’ gets described as psychedelic by Norm himself, and we can see how he would say that. Reflective and feverish, the track finds a more diverse arrangement, yet still benefits from Archer’s Beatles-esque vocals. It’s a well-established formula that marks the album as a cohesive record, a wholesome body of work that’s easy to relate to. ‘Verb’ is Archer’s third album to date, and the Portsmouth-based creative appears as inspired as ever on it.
Delving deeper into the record, Norm explains: “It includes the geography of the South Coast, the claustrophobia of Portsmouth’s famous population density, pub-crawls and soup bowls – and writes compassionate but dumbfounded lyrics about the local community’s isolation.” Overall, ‘Verb’ is an approachable album, and we are confident about its wide appeal.
Recommended! Discover ‘Verb’ on Spotify:
