I’ve been an Embrace fan for more than half of my life, so I was eagerly anticipating an opportunity to hear the new 10 track album by the band, entitled Love Is A Basic Need.

By Claire Schauberger

The title track has already been released as a single and I wasn’t all that fussed on it, however there are several stand-out tracks, which include Never – a slow, quiet, and refined number that features calm female vocals, making it unlike most other Embrace songs. The vocals and lyrical topic of dedication to a partner through relationship difficulties also mesh together really well. Horseshoe In My Glove is probably my favourite song Embrace have released since In The End in 2014, and has the same feeling that 2001 track Wonder has, being a beautiful piano-led ballad.

Wake Up Call will become a One Big Family crowd shout-along, but I wish it would just swell that much more into a stadium anthem, like Coldplay managed to do with most of their hits. It brings back a similar vibe to the Out Of Nothing era songs circa 2004 as does Rabbit Hole, which despite an impressive orchestral crescendo reminds me of old single Looking As You Are. My Luck Comes In Threes is ace, and is patiently held back for the first minute and a half, however I feel that lyrically it drops off a bit when it goes into “I’m… And… And… And… and…”, which gets a bit repetitive.

For fans of Coldplay, David Ford, Duke Special, and My Vitriol.

Love Is A Basic Need by Embrace is out now.