Embrace

After the hubbub around Britpop’s mid-’90s burst died down, the decks were cleared for a whole new crop of rock bands to continue the movement’s ambitious sonics and unabashed self-confidence. Among these newcomers were West Yorkshire’s Embrace. Formed in 1990 by the McNamara brothers—vocalist Danny and guitarist Richard—the group were slow in developing, eventually finding their initial chart success nearly a decade later with the epic, Oasis-esque anthems “All You Good Good People” and “Come Back to What You Know”, both of which appeared on their 1998 No. 1 debut album, The Good Will Out. From there, Embrace became known for heartfelt songs offering up solace (the earnest “You’re Not Alone”) or expressions of romantic bliss (the Coldplay-written, piano-based power ballad “Gravity”), all delivered with genuine sincerity. They’ve also continued to challenge themselves, such as with an orchestral version of 2018’s Love Is a Basic Need, and in 2021 they released a career-spanning double album, Best of Live From the Cellar of Dreams.