These People

Verve fans, rejoice. Your leader has recaptured his ear for thrilling, angry epics. Five years on from his provocative RPA & The United Nations of Sound project, here Richard Ashcroft fuses his god-given propensity for affecting melodies with some rock testiness. “Hold On”, for example, bounds by on a pulsating synth-rock wave with lyrics about the Arab Spring and tear gas. Then there are the lush, orchestral moments that feel like gifts to longstanding fans. Chief among them, “This Is How It Feels”—a song as haltingly beautiful as anything in Ashcroft’s hallowed songbook.