Embrace - Gravity
[Independiente]

Embrace have just sold out their lengthy UK tour and their debut album, 'Good Will Out' is about to go platinum, suggesting those 'bigger than Oasis' comments may have been more than a cocktail of arrogance and hot air. Of course this was 1998 not 2004, and any chance of Embrace dominating the (forgotten) Britpop scene is approximately six years too late.

Now the era where thrashy garage bands or skate music dominates the popular choice for youth soundtracks, little desire is left for a washed up indie band who, actually sound like they've been sleeping since the turn of the century. That is unless you are one of the recent lucky big-break stories of Keane or Snow Patrol. But even roping in Coldplay's song-writer Chris 'Rent-a-hit' Martin to pen 'Gravity', does little in the favours of a successful Embrace comeback.

The twinkling piano intro of 'Gravity' not so much suggests a departure for the Huddersfield act, but bares a remarkable similarity to earlier single 'Fireworks' - the group's obvious 'lighters in the air' crowd-pleaser. Despite being written by someone else, the desire to reclaim their excitement and dwindling fan-base will fail to arrive by playing upon former hits.

'Gravity' could well be a Coldplay chart hit in the making, if you can get by Danny McNamara's hideously off-putting vocals without questioning how the band were able to span three albums worth of material. It's doubtful however, whether the forthcoming album 'Out Of Nothing', will gain the attention and recognition of their debut offering. Not so much embrace this record, but avoid it.