Gothic Theatre
Embrace
If the British know one thing about rock’n’roll, it’s how to write a big, epic ballad, and Yorkshire quintet Embrace has that down quite nicely. While their gigantic, anthem-laden sound failed to win over American ears when the band first broke out in England in the late 90s, the phenomenal stateside success of countrymen Coldplay and Keane should pave the way for Embrace to finally make its mark. In fact, Embrace’s buddy Chris Martin even gave the band one of his own songs, the stirring, piano-led “Gravity.”
But on its latest, Out of Nothing, Embrace has a bit more punch in its sound than Coldplay’s melodramatic overtures. Lead single “Ashes” is a sheer trailblazer, tailor made for a motion picture montage with its gospel-like sing-a-long chorus: “Now watch me rise up and leave all the ashes you made out of me.” Singer Danny McNamara has an affable, welcoming voice, one possessing the attention-grabbing fervor of the Verve’s Richard Ashcroft, but with Damon Albarn’s easygoing accessibility. Often, McNamara gets support from chorus-like backing vocals, particularly on the uplifiting “Someday,” one that channels some of the early 90s, E-talking optimism of the Happy Mondays.
Embrace is currently packing its massive live sound into clubs around the U.S. before heading back across the Atlantic for the festival circuit.
