To construct their sumptuously hypnotic music, The Verve cherry-pick elements from the rock ‘n' roll timeline. Richard Ashcroft and company obsess over Echo & The Bunnymen's dark, jangly post-punk and also are fans of the Stones' mid-'60s trip through echo-soaked psychedelia. Another hero is John Martyn, who came to prominence in the '70s with an anarchic blend of British folk and jazz.