Listen: Richard Ashcroft returns with new solo album - and he looks pretty different, too..

Richard Ashcroft has announced the release of his fourth solo album.

The Verve frontman hasn't released an album in almost six years - since 2010's 'United Nations of Sound' - but will return on May 20th with 'These People'.

The 44-year-old has released a statement explaining the album's political themes. "Some personal and world events take a darker turn, leading to a sense of urgency and a clearing of the mind," it reads - see it in full below.

The album's cover art also depicts an almost-unrecognisable Ashcroft; gone are his trademark flowing locks as seen in the famous video for 'Bitter Sweet Symphony', to be replaced by a tightly-cropped hairstyle.