The balance of power started to shift in the Verve by the time of A Northern Soul, with Richard Ashcroft taking on more of a central creative role as the group’s dynamics shifted from freeform sprawls to more focused songs amid often intense recording sessions. At its best it’s a striking tension that produced more massive Nick McCabe-led guitar rampages like lead single “This is Music,” while Ashcroft’s more contemplative, acoustic-based efforts like the sorrowful “On Your Own” and “History” showed that his efforts could be remarkably emotional and affecting.