Urban Hymns is the strongest composite of all the musical paths they'd crossed beforehand and the most coherent album of theirs..beautifully subtle and overwhelming~so often at once. If it wasn't for Ok Computer that year this would be my personal favourite of 1997.
I think a lot can also be said for many of The Verve's offerings pre-Storm In Heaven and many B-Side that are B-Sides in name only..She's A Superstar, Feel, No Come, Where The Geese Go, No Come Down, I See The Door, So Sister, Never Wanna See You Cry
History/On Your Own are two of the most haunting and beautiful tracks they've ever recorded..reason enough to look into A Northern Soul