The Verve confirm album four

The Verve's album Forth is released in August
The Verve's album Forth is released in August

The Verve have announced their long awaited reunion album - their fourth - is to be called Forth. It is released on 18 August (a day later in the US) on The Verve's On Our Own imprint.

The album's first single, Love Is Noise, was premiered on BBC Radio One 23 June and is now streaming from the band's MySpace site.

Says bassist Simon Jones, "I think we've just made the best record that we've ever made, without a shadow of a doubt, and I don't think we would have attempted to make a record if we didn't think we could surpass what we've done before. It's a true representation of this band and what we're about, and we're very proud of it."

The Verve reformed in 2007 following a nine-year hiatus, the band's last album being 1997's Urban Hymns. Since then, frontman Richard Ashcroft has recorded three solo albums.

The Verve play a dozen festivals this summer, including a co-headlining slot at Glastonbury 2008 this weekend.