Embrace - Oxford Zodiac - 1/9/04
4/5
By: Matt Tomiak
'... Embrace? They had real quality, but sadly came along at the wrong time - right at the end of an era...'
An unusually well-spelt text-message rockfeedback receives from a mate just moments before the Yorkshire fivesome take to the stage to air material from forthcoming, fourth LP 'Out of Nothing' certainly provides some engaging food for thought.
Having first made waves in late 1997, they entered peculiar, musical no-man's land. It was a time where Britpop had breathed its last gagging breath, yet also an age that preceded the new wave of sensitive, big-anthemed indie boys, a la Starsailor, Doves and Coldplay. Yes, Embrace have at times seemed condemned to join the ranks of rock's nearly men; forever on the cusp of greatness and mass adulation, but never quite able to clear those final couple of hurdles.
In spite of their supremely loyal fanbase, Danny McNamara confesses to anxieties that, following a couple of years out of the game, his audience may have believed
the band to have 'died, or split up.' Then the defining clincher: 'But we haven't.'
So tonight's set is divided about 50-50 between new material and old favourites. On first listen, matter from 'Out Of Nothing' is bolder, brassier, more assured - 'Looking As You Are' and 'Spell It Out' both prime, forthright examples - than ever before. And whilst that's always been a string to the Embrace bow in the past, on this evidence, it's unlikely that 'Out...' will be lingering on the themes of vulnerability and insecurity in quite the lilt that that many of the early songs did.
Seemingly, the boys are obviously fiercely proud of their latest, too - perhaps too proud: guitarist Richard McNamara becoming incandescent with rage at a throwaway heckle of 'Bollocks!' at the end of one such composition ('If I wasn't putting my f**king all into that, I don't what I was doing,' he bellows, going on, 'Bollocks?! F**K OFF!').
'The Good Will Out' and finale 'Wonder' provide more certain pleasing to the otherwise gushing attendees, and still sound as timelessly unifying as ever; and happily, Danny even confesses to having fallen back in love with the band's signature anthem and biggest hit 'Come Back To What You Know'.
Saliently, he remarks upon the position of comeback single 'Gravity' - a highly impressive #6 in the mid-weeks. After all this time, perhaps this might finally be that finest hour they've long dreamt of.
Artists in this article: Embrace
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