Embrace

Following in the footsteps of Oasis and the Verve, Embrace became a minor pop sensation in post-Brit-pop Britain in the late '90s. Like Oasis, the group has a knack for big, anthemic hooks, yet they turn these catchy numbers into sweeping, sprawling, lugubrious rockers, much like the Verve. This synthesis earned the group an equal number of critics and detractors, but they were able to cultivate a strong fan base in England with their first singles in 1997 and 1998 debut album, The Good Will Out.

Natives of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, brothers Danny (lead vocals, guitar) and Richard McNamara (guitar) formed Embrace in the mid-'90s. After placing an advertisement in a local newspaper, the duo recruited drummer Mike Heaton and bassist Steven Firth. After rehearsing for several months, Richard found "Retread" in Danny's demos; the country-tinged song was unlike anything else in the band's catalog, but its anthemic sensibilities became the keystone for their sound and led them toward their signature fusion of Oasis and Verve.

In October 1996, the group signed with the Virgin subsidiary Hut Recordings; in America, they signed with DGC Records. Eager to establish indie credibility, the group released their debut single, "All You Good Good People," on the hip indie label Fierce Panda in February 1997. Over the next few months it was followed by the singles "Fireworks" and "One Big Family," which were both released on Hut. Those two singles were successful, but the re-release of "All You Good Good People" on Hut in October proved to be their breakthrough, entering the charts at number eight. Released in May 1998 -- shortly after the group received a Brit Award nomination for Best New Band in February -- "Come Back to What You Know," cemented that success and paved the way for the June 8 release of their debut album, The Good Will Out.

Greeted with generally positive, occasionally enthusiastic, reviews The Good Will Out entered the charts at number one. It was released in America the following month. Drawn from Memory followed in the spring of 2000.