The Good Will Out

by

Embrace

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Okay, so I'd give this album 5 stars if it were consistently good. What I mean is, there are songs on here that are simply amazing: grand anthems, sweeping choruses, majestic orchestrations, etc. Yeah, it sounds over the top, but it is & it's done in a good way- as only the British know how. Like I mentioned earlier, the only problem is that not every track follows this formula; not every track is up to par. Some songs are rather straight-forward & bland. But the good songs are SO GOOD.

Songs like "Retread," "Come Back To What You Know," "Higher Sights," "My Weakness Is None Of Your Business," "Fireworks," & "That's All Changed Forever" use strings & orchestrations to build to an emotional climax. These songs are tremendously moving- it's why I love music so much!

"All You Good Good People" is one of their better known songs that uses a full orchestra- horns & strings- in more of a heavy setting. It's a great introduction that will lift you off your feet- check out the intense cresendo & how it lifts you up & drops you into a rousing interlude.

"The Good Will Out" is probably the best song on here. It's a classic album closer: linked-arms-sing-a-long. The horns are great too- it's a poignant song without dipping too much into balladry.

The rest of the songs- like "Blind," "I Want The World," & "The Last Gas"- are okay at best, but don't live up to the excellency of the aforementioned tracks. I wouldn't miss them if they were off the album- at least you'd have a stellar EP. (Well, it'd be longer than an EP.) But that's typical of Embrace- many of their albums feature incredible individual songs but a handful of lackluster ones. However, at any rate, this album (their first) features the most songs where they're at the top of their game. They seemed to be on to something. Too bad they never caught on in the States, but at least we had the good fortune to have this album released (their only Stateside release).

If you like this then you should also check out the import for Fireworks- their greatest hits. That way you can bypass the lackluster [stuff] in their other 2 albums. But there are definitely "non-hits" on The Good Will Out that are worth a listen. And for that reason, check out this album.