Blind faith and youthful exuberance are no excuse for the ludicrous arrogance that branded Embrace's arrival on the indie scene in 1997.
And while frontman Danny McNamara may actually have fooled few with his grand protestations that the indie pop world was about to fall at his feet, he has certainly learnt his lesson.
Such a conclusion was patently obvious way back in November, when first single 'Hooligan' was hoisted like a white flag admonishing past bluster. The track, complete with a bizarre and completely not Embrace kazoo solo, showcased a band that were finally about to put their money where their mouth is rather then their feet. Cool, irreverent and strum-laden, the track immediately set a new agenda. And like 'Hooligan', at the heart of 'Drawn From Memory' is a restless vitality and assurance that debut album 'The Good Will Out' lacked, replaced instead by bulging, endless string sections and hellish production.
This fact is immediately signalled by opening track 'The Love It Takes'. While Danny's initially despairing moan doesn't bode well, the listless emotion is soon blown apart by a song of quite brilliant dynamism and seeping emotion. Two thirds in, when a freakishly turbulent and dextrous guitar solo is unleashed, inspiration is blasted sky-high.
The stomping firebrand of 'New Adam New Eve' is equally charged, as McNamara ventures down that endless black hole of lovelorn wounds he inhabits, accompanied by a masterful set of guitar licks. Of course, brother and axe-man Richard never had any reason to gob-off about his abilities, as is graphically amplified by this album. 'Yeah You' is even fiercer as Danny, rather than proclaiming his own greatness, decrees that the band are coming out fighting - 'we ain't gonna take any shit anymore, so suck your evil in'. Easy tiger!
Even grooves are not unreachable, as 'Save Me's funked bass-line shows. And despite the familiar 'join-us' athemic chorus, musical ingenuity is forcefully stated, the track resplendent in an unhinged synth pattern. Experimentation is also fleetingly glimpsed, on the distorted guitar and string soundclash of 'The Bunker Song'.
And while the starker balladry like 'Drawn From Memory' and 'Liars Tears' again contain unhealthy portions of ham and are somewhat landlocked by clichés, they also capture emotions that are too quivering to be contrived. While Danny's previous claims for greatness may have been as clumsy as a car crash, his emotional resonance has never been questioned.
Getting controversy out of McNamara these days is like trying to squeeze an original idea out of Noel Gallagher. Impossible. The ironic thing is that, finally, Embrace have created a record to match the mouthpiece that fronts them and the ideas that quite clearly ricochet around his head.
The next album really could have genius stamped across it.
