Oh my, I couldn't believe this album hasn't been reviewed yet, but I was pleased to see it included on epinions. In truth, this is probably Embrace's weakest album, and not a great place to start (that being either Embrace's newest release, "Out of Nothing," or the debut album "The Good Will Out"). However, if you're just starting to discover this band and are getting into them, then this one is definitely worth checking out, particularly if you enjoy some of the softer and more lullabye like songs that the band has released. If there is any downside to this album, it's simply that it doesn't have the energy and feeling of life that "Out of Nothing" does, and the album feels kind of sleepy. Once you accept that, there's some good stuff here:
1.) Over
This is easily the best track on the album, and if you don't love this song after a couple listens, this is probably not the band for you (and you and I would have very different musical tastes apparently). It's over seven minutes long, but that still feels too short. Nearly from the beginning, you get a feel for the delicate nature of singer Danny McNamara's vocals (which despite the brilliance of the other four band members, is the highlight of Embrace for me). The closest comparison I can find is that he sounds a bit like Noel Gallagher, except a little more happy. Musically, this song has a fantastic build-up with a soaring string section in the background as on so many of the great songs from "The Good Will Out," and the backup vocals are essentially used as instruments to make a densely layered song that is hard to classify into any genre of music. Well, give it a listen, trust me, you won't be sorry you did.
2.) I Hope You're Happy Now
Not quite as strong as "Over," and this song has a bit of the sleepy feel I was mentioning earlier, but I still like this one. This song could have been a classic, if only it built up to something, although the horns that come in about midway through the song are a pleasant surprise. Not much else to say about this song to be honest, it's a little forgettable.
3.) Wonder
This is not one of my favorite Embrace tunes, which is odd, because it's one of their classics that often gets played live (at least from what I hear, I won't know until I finally get to see them live in the U.S. very shortly, and I can't wait for that...) It's more accessible than most of their songs, and is likely to be one of the songs you notice first, but it just doesn't grow with repeated listens very well, perhaps because the guitar part is unusually simple.
4.) Many Will Learn
Another song that comes close to being great, but slightly misses the mark, like "I Hope You're Happy Now." The real problem I have with this song is simply the lyrics, which are usually excellent. What's with the line "many will run for their lives?" That's unusually unsettling for a band that once wrote a comforting song called "You're Not Alone." But the music is certainly soothing, with an electronic keyboard effect in the background that makes it sound like some futuristic outer space voyage. Again, if only thing song built to something like so many great Embrace tunes.
5.) It's Gonna Take Time
Here's the wakeup call after a few lullabyes, this song is a powerhouse, and it's awesome. It starts with a horn section, which comes back in again on the catchy chorus. I can't say there's not some slow parts to it, but they work.
6.) Hey, What You Trying to Say
This song is just there, and it's a bit forgettable. If you've heard "Out of Nothing" before, you'll be a bit shocked that this is the same band, because they really weren't trying all that hard when they wrote this song. I have nothing against their slow songs, as a matter of fact I often prefer them (for instance, the title track off of "Drawn From Memory," which is perfect with just a piano accompaniment and vocals), but this is just sluggish and dull. Fortunately, about midway through the song, there is a pretty cool interlude which makes it worth listening to, even if only for about thirty seconds.
7.) If You've Never Been in Love With Anything
Here's an up tempo song to liven up the album after the last track. Some of the instrumentation on the keyboards is a little cheesy, which is rare for this band, but the chorus is definitely catchy, and I challenge you to not have it stuck in your head after listening to this song (and that's not a bad thing in this case). The interesting drumming and Beach Boys esque background vocals are what really make this song work.
8.) Make It Last
This song is fantastic, and a good example of how great this band can be at soft rock ballads. It's not quite up there with "Over," but it's worth the price of the album alone because of its magical feel and chorus. If you like this song, you have to check out the album "Drawn From Memory," because it's got a really similar sound. What's truly amazing about songs like this to me is that they would be perfectly radio-friendly (even though they get no radio play in the U.S. ... yet), but the other stuff that gets played on the radio would never sound like this, it's from the heart, this is not manufactured pop music.
9.) Happiness Will Get You in the End
This is not one of the better songs, particularly the unsettling lyric in the beginning "I'd kill anything that flies around your head," that doesn't sound like the Danny I've become accustomed to. I wish there was something more positive to say about this song, particularly considering that there's only one more track on this way too short album, but I can't.
10.) Satellites
Fortunately, the album goes out strong. This song is a real builder, and it'll have to grow on you with repeated listens, because it's easy to overlook it the first few times. But it's the perfect finish to an album that started with "Over" in terms of sound. It's got a very sentimental tone to it, and it's reminiscint of "Fireworks" off of "The Good Will Out." It's also got a bit of that spacey futuristic feel to it like "Many Will Learn," which is certainly appropriate for the title. Just don't give up on it during the first few slower minutes, it goes somewhere.
Recommended:
