March 28, 2002

Embrace : Fireworks (Singles 1997-2002)

Huddersfield's finest's greatest moments...

8 / 10 Attention practical jokers! Why not take your mates to see Embrace
live and watch them become converted into delirious, dribbling
Apostles Of Danny by the moon-rattling anthems and the kazoos
forged from the toenails of Zeus. Then play them this singles
compilation and watch the bastards wince at the mutant minotaur
with haemorrhoids singing 'Come Back To What You Know'!

For 'Fireworks…' traces the maturing of Embrace from the gang
chanting blunderbusses and mating goose impressions of the
debut album to the truly soulful, stupendous singing-proper-and-everything
maestros behind 'Wonder' and 'Make It Last'. The 'Sesame Street'
Count-funk of '3 Is A Magic Number' is included to offset the
largely sombre mood, but bonding songs for miseryguts or not,
Embrace's singles are easily amongst the most affecting and
wonderous since Scott Walker went weird.

If you can listen to them all without suffering a solid half
hour of crippling goosebumps, you're already dead.

Mark Beaumont