Embrace (Live)

I think I need to address the ‘elephant in the room’ as it were, before I get into the main body of this review: Danny McNamara doesn’t have the strongest singing voice – particularly when performing live. This is something that I was already aware of before this gig. It’s something the band used to receive criticism for, but for me it’s not as much of an issue as it is for some others. As an aspiring musician myself I’ve not been blessed with the best singing voice, but I make the best use of it that I can, and consequently I’m able to view Danny with a strange sense of admiration. There are, after all, plenty of singers who have a tonne of natural ability, but do very little with it.

Nevertheless I was a little underwhelmed at times during the gig, as some of the songs didn’t quite hit the mark – in particular the newer material. This was an issue as the setlist opened with three songs from the new album, which dulled the momentum a bit – but things really picked up as the evening progressed. Richard performed the lead vocals for “Refugees” (just like on the album) and demonstrated a knack for hitting the high notes with more ease than his older brother. After this the band as a whole seemed more at ease, as the set moved into more established material: “Nature’s Law” and “My Weakness Is None Of Your Business” followed and really got the crowd going.

The live crowd in Bristol were voicing their desire to hear the latest single: “Follow You Home” frequently throughout the night. When the song finally came around, Danny urged the crowd to get out their phones and glow-sticks (a recurring motif throughout this tour) which allowed the song to be performed amidst a sea of red and white lights. The crowd wanted more after the song ended (the ‘oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh’ chorus kept re-emerging) and the band obliged by repeating the chorus a few more times. This would go on to happen again later in the night, at which point Danny said “We can’t keep doing it!” This type of spontaneity really helped to make the evening feel more unique, and at the request of someone in the crowd, the band made an unrehearsed attempt to perform “3 Is A Magic Number” which unfortunately fell apart.

The band have plenty of big anthems and choruses at their disposal, which really enhanced the set-list as it progressed, “Gravity”, “Ashes”, “All You Good Good People” are all big crowd pleasers, and then even more-so was “Come Back To What You Know”, for which the live crowd could almost be credited for taking the lead vocals! Then much to my surprise, as the main set was coming to an end, the band performed on of my absolute favourites that I wasn’t expecting, which was “That’s All Changed Forever”.

The main set concluded with the closing track from the latest album – “Thief On My Island”, which certainly has an element of finality about it, with its closing 2 minutes of distortion blasting (accompanied by a light-display to match). The band then re-emerged for the encore: “Quarters” (for which everyone was told to get up and dance), “One Big Family” and then finally the classic “The Good Will Out” with an extended vocal refrain at the end.

There were some mis-steps throughout the evening – perhaps the band are still a little rusty after such a lengthy hiatus – but the tried-and-tested big hits sounded much more assured, as I’m sure the newer material will gradually become. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a touch disappointed at times, but that’s mainly because I’m a big fan of the band and this was my first time seeing them live. Overall I still enjoyed my evening, I got a great new T-Shirt and can now add Embrace to the list of bands I’ve seen live. Also, Danny assured everyone that the band won't leave it eight years next time, which is an encouraging sign!

Game of Thrones - Season Four: The Laws of Gods and Men

The land of Braavos has been mentioned fairly frequently throughout the series – there have been characters such as Syrio Forel and Jaqen H’Ghar who have come from Braavos – and during more recent seasons the Iron Bank of Braavos has also come into mention. The ever-changing opening credits scene revealed that we would finally be visiting Braavos – there was a very nice shot of the Titan of Braavos as the ship arrived – and the Iron Bank in this week’s episode. And that’s how things begin, with Stannis finally away from Dragonstone, appealing for the support of the Iron Bank.

Mark Gatiss played the head banker Tycho Nestoris and it required very little effort to point out how weak Stannis’ current cause is, regardless of the strength of his claim. He has a tiny army, a small fleet of ships, and Dragonstone has very little value as far as produce is concerned. However, Davos is able to sway the tide in Stannis’ favour, arguing that once Tywin dies the Lannisters will be a much weaker household, and then showing the four stumps where his fingers used to be as proof that Stannis is a man who delivers on his promises. All of a sudden Stannis’ cause does not look quite so weak (there’s also the blood magic to consider – of the Five Kings from the war, now only Stannis and Balon Greyjoy remain). I was very pleased to see Davos get a decent speech in this episode, and Liam Cunningham continues to do an excellent job in the role.

Meanwhile back in Westeros, further north Yara Greyjoy arrives at the Dreadfort with her posse, armed to the teeth and ready to rescue Theon. To begin with the rescue mission appears to be going well, as they kill several Bolton men and locate Theon in the kennels, but something that Yara didn’t consider was the state that Theon would be in when she found him. Theon has been so damaged by Ramsay’s torture that he refused to be rescued – or to even acknowledge his true identity, he’s truly become Reek now – for fear of angering Ramsay and being tortured even more. There is a face-off between the Greyjoy fighters and the Bolton men, but it doesn’t last long – and Yara decides to flee once Ramsay unleashes the hounds. Obviously the fact that Theon refused to be rescued is a significant factor into why this rescue mission failed, but this outcome does make the Greyjoys look rather weak.

Theon/Reek’s subservience to Ramsay was then solidified even further in a very uncomfortable scene in which Ramsay offered him a bath as a reward for his loyalty. Ramsay then told Reek that he’ll need his help recapturing a castle, and to do this Reek is going to hav to pretend to be someone he’s not: Theon Greyjoy. I’m very interested to see where this little psychological mind-game is leading.

The viewers are granted a good long look at one of the dragons – who are very big now – as Drogon attacks an unsuspecting flock of goats. This becomes a problem for Daenerys who is now ruling Meereen as Queen. She is able to pay the goatherd for his losses, but her lack of control over the dragons will likely continue to be a problem. She is then approached by a Meereenese nobleman named Hizdahr zo Loraq, who calls her out on the crucifixions she ordered. He wishes to uphold the traditions of Meereen, and grant them all burial – one of whom was his father. During this scene there is a strategic shot of Ser Barristan over Dany’s shoulder (all of a sudden the appeal for ‘Mercy’ doesn’t seem so foolish). She is finally encountering some problems after things had been going so smoothly for so long – and with a whole city to rule, it’s not likely to get any easier any time soon.

After this the remaining episode was spent in King’s Landing, mostly for Tyrion’s trial, although there was also a Small Council meeting – with a greatly altered Small Council that now includes Mace Tyrell and Prince Oberyn. Varys hasn’t featured in this season very much, so it was nice to see him get a bit more of his enigmatic dialogue (an un-seducible man, who serves the realm). I was also pleased to hear Tywin finally address Ser Barristan’s dismissal from the Kingsguard (although it’s about three years too late, it did at least occur).

The trial scene served to prove just how serious Tyrion’s situation is, and the stakes are even higher than his previous trial in the Eerie. The trial commences with the boy-king Tommen excusing himself from the trial, a clever move from Tywin, as Tommen is very fond of his uncle and it wouldn’t do to have any supporters for the accused. This also results in Tywin sitting on the Iron Throne – which is a very strong image. Time is given to a variety of characters who are all more than willing to testify against Tyrion, including Meryn Trant, Grand Maester Pycelle, Varys and of course his sister Cersei. Pycelle’s story about Tyrion plundering his stores is complete bullshit, but Varys, Meryn and Cersei’s stories are for the most part true, although tailored to suit the situation and strategically ignoring certain details.

Jaime approaches Tywin and states that the trial is a complete farce – which it is – but then the ultimate goal becomes clear. Jaime will leave the Kingsguard and go to Casterly Rock to continue the Lannister bloodline, while Tyrion will plead guilty and be sent to join the Night’s Watch. Tywin has masterminded this whole situation brilliantly, but then Tyrion changes everything with his ‘confession’.

Jaime tells Tyrion of Tywin’s true intentions, and that the best thing for him to do is to keep his mouth shut. But then Shae is brought out as the next witness, and she betrays Tyrion, telling the courtroom everything they want to hear, even though it’s clearly a lie. This proves too much for Tyrion, and what follows is one of Peter Dinklage’s greatest moments on the show (to go alongside about fifty others!) He confesses that his true crime is being a dwarf, something that his father his always held against him. He goes on to say that he didn’t kill Joffrey, but he wishes that he had – and that he regrets saving the city from Stannis’ assault, as they were more than happy to ignore his efforts and turn against him. He then locks eyes with his father and – much like in his previous trial – demands a trial by combat. There is then some brilliant cinematography of Tyrion and Tywin’s faces in response to this, before the credits roll.

This episode chose to focus on just a small number of storylines, there was nothing at the Eerie, or with the Wildlings, or at the Wall or beyond. The tighter focus worked well, and allowed for the trial to have a big impact, and the absent storylines will leave fans wanting more, which they will get soon enough. Another very strong episode, which was rounded off with stellar performances from Peter Dinklage and Charles Dance. Now, who will be selected to fight for either side…?

Game of Thrones - Season Four: First Of His Name

For the most part a much more slow-paced episode, which provided further exposition and solidified the changes in direction (or new settings) for certain characters. Events from the show’s past were re-visited for the first time in since they occurred. And then, to thank viewers for their patience we got a very gratifying finale, which rectified some of the uneasy viewing of last week – and got a lot of the characters right back where they need to be. And most importantly, Hodor finally got in on the glory!

The episode began with the coronation of Tommen Baratheon, the gentle-minded younger brother of Joffrey. The courtroom erupted into loud applause as he was pronounced King, which is probably very different to the atmosphere when Joffrey was crowned. The main purpose of this scene though, was to show the relationship between Cersei and Margery, both of whom have strong connections with the boy-King. Their conversation was very slowly paced, with deliberate phrasing from both characters, creating the impression that they have decided to make peace. Considering all that we know about these characters I highly doubt that either of them are being genuine, and this scene will be an interesting one to re-watch and analyse once the story has progressed a little further.

Cersei also shared a scene with Oberyn, another enemy, where she gave a rare show of vulnerability. In spite of all that she has done to get herself into a position of power, she has been ultimately powerless to help her children: Joffrey died at his own wedding (a crime for which Cersei refuses to hear any argument other than that Tyrion did it) and her daughter Myrcella is far away in Dorne. Oberyn seemed genuinely surprised that Cersei made no threats, and instead asked for a message to be sent to her daughter at Dorne.

With the war – effectively – over, and a new King on the throne, the most powerful house in Westeros have a cause to let their petty disputes slide. Tywin revealed that the crown owes a significant debt to the Iron Bank of Braavos, and so it would be for the best if the Lannisters and the Tyrells remain on the same side. Now that the tyrannical Joffrey is gone, it will be much easier to keep the rest of the country unified.

Indeed, across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys contemplates an attack on King’s Landing – especially given the chaotic state of the realm in the aftermath of a royal death – but then learns that the cities she has liberated have since fallen under tyranny after her departure. Her claim to the Iron Throne will not feel justified if she is unable to rule. So she resolves to remain in Meereen, and rule the city. This may annoy viewers of the show, as the majority of Dany’s journey thus-far has been to reclaim the Iron Throne, so to have her supposedly abandon that conquest is questionable – and yet as far as her character is concerned it makes sense. She has proven her abilities as a conqueror, but has never truly ruled over people.

Sansa arrived at the Eerie – a place we’ve not seen since Tyrion’s last trial – under the protection of Littlefinger, and the master-manipulator used the impenetrable fortress as a metaphor for his own accomplishments; if he makes the most effective and tactical use of his resources “one man can be worth ten-thousand”. Sansa was then introduced to her Aunt Lysa, and her cousin Robin. Lysa appeared pleased to see Sansa at first, but very quickly revealed a dislike for her – brought about by a lifetime of resentment of her older sister Catelyn. It seems that poor Sansa is unlikely to find any sort of happiness – she finally escapes from King’s Landing, only to find herself at the Eerie with her bitter Aunt Lysa.

In a private moment between Lysa and Littlefinger, she revealed that under his orders it was in fact she who poisoned Jon Arryn, and wrote to Catelyn that the Lannister’s were to blame. This is a pretty huge deal, as devotees will remember that these were events that occurred right at the start of the series (episode one of season one) and eventually sparked off a war. Littlefinger truly is a dangerous man, knowing how to manipulate people and pray upon their weaknesses, all for personal gain. Knowledge is power indeed. However, he was clearly not as thrilled about marrying Lysa, as she was about marrying him.

Arya now has a longer list of names than ever before – not yet aware that she can remove Joffrey from it – and it’s a shame that she feels the need to add Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr to the list. When she said she had just one more name to say, it was clear it was going to be The Hound. The following morning she returned to practicing the Water Dance that she learned from Syrio Forel. The Hound sneered at this technique, and was given even further cause for scorn when Arya revealed that Syrio was killed by Ser Meryn of the Kingsguard (supposedly – we never saw it happen). Bronn remarked in last week’s episode “do you want to fight pretty, or do you want to win?” and it seems that The Hound shares that view. Syrio was a great swordsman, but since his opponent had full armour and a “big fucking sword” it made no difference in the end.

Someone who can boast killing a Kingsguard Knight is Podrick, who spent a long time proving his ineptitude as a squire (incapable of riding a horse, or skinning a rabbit) but was able to earn Brienne’s respect when he revealed the main reason Tyrion held him in such esteem: having saved his life. It also seems that Brienne is heading for The Wall, as nobody (other than Littlefinger and Lysa) know where Sansa truly is.

And finally, the reason for the extended focus on the Night’s Watch deserters in last week’s episode was made clear – to give us more of a build for the fight, and a more satisfying payoff with the deaths of Karl, Rast and the other deserters. The fight between the Watch and the deserters was an interesting one as they were all dressed in black, making it hard to tell who was on whose side (unless they were established characters). I was very eager to see the face-off between Jon and Karl, but I was a little disappointed that Karl had the upper hand for the majority of the fight. All his bravado about his legendary status as a hired killer, had me hoping that Jon would put him in his place, but this wasn’t entirely the case. However, Karl found himself on the receiving end of one of the most gruesome deaths in the show’s history: taking a sword right through the back of the head, and out through his mouth (it was a little bit like a scene from The Walking Dead).

Locke’s involvement also became resolved, and served to ensure that Bran and Jon remained separate. Locke’s goal was to locate Bran and Rickon Stark (to his credit he actually did pretty well on this) but it was clear that his intentions weren’t good – he does serve Roose Bolton after all, the same man who put a knife through Robb Stark’s heart. Unfortunately for Locke he didn’t count on Bran’s abilities as a warg, or the simple-minded Hodor who Bran can control. Hodor is a gentle giant, who would never willingly hurt anyone, but under Bran’s control his strength was proven, as he snapped Locke’s neck with ease. I can already see the meme’s that will emerge from this: “I have an army; we have a Hodor!”

It would seem that none of the Stark children are ever going to be reunited, but they will always come agonisingly close. The alterations made from the books allowed for the sadness of Bran’s choice to really shine through, as he has to pursue his quest rather than reunite with his family.

This was a very strong episode, which brought things back on track after a couple of uneven episodes (don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of good moments in them too). We’re now halfway through the season, and we’re set to have some big events in the second half. The changes from the books maintain a sense of uncertainty about what’s to come, but everything they keep will be worth getting excited about.

Under Milk Wood - Theatre Review

Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood is a play that I will always have a great deal of fondness for, as it was – with the exception of school plays – the first proper play that I ever performed in once I decided that I wanted to be an actor. Over time it is a play that I have returned to again and again, I have a very nice edition of the play that I’ll occasionally read on a long train journey, and yet rather surprisingly I had never seen the play performed live. Consequently, when I learned several months ago that Under Milk Wood was to be performed at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter, I was very excited that I would finally get a chance to see it.

This production, performed by Clwyd Theatr Cymru marks both the 60^th anniversary of the play’s first performance and also the centenary year of Dylan Thomas’ birth. Performed on a raised circular platform overlooked by a rounded three-dimensional small scale construction of the village of Llareggub, around which a sun slowly revolved, representing the passage of time over the course of the play’s twenty four hour structure. With the exception of the interval, the entire company remained onstage throughout, which really showcased the strength of the ensemble, as well as the individual performers’ ability to transition from one character into another. There was no need for props or costume changes, as each interpretation of character was clear and distinct.

Owen Teale played the First Voice, and truly does justice the beautiful poetic language of the play – making sure that not a single word is wasted. He held the audiences’ collective attention with a slow delivery of the play’s opening speech, which goes uninterrupted for a long time before any other voices are heard. Teale also characterised the omniscient narrator with a sense of earthiness which was nicely juxtaposed by Christian Patterson’s Second Voice, who was much more bright and spirited in his delivery. The two worked off each other nicely as they moved freely about the stage, bringing scenes to life and offering little glimpses into the private lives (and innermost thoughts) of the townspeople. Owen Teale’s delivery frequently allowed the humour of the writing to shine through in a more understated manner than the much more heightened performances of the rest of the company.

Every performer was given moments to really shine, especially from a comedic standpoint. Due to the nature of the play and the sheer number of characters this often meant that there was a lot of exaggerated movements, excessive mugging and over pronounced delivery, but for the most part it all worked (after all, during its early stages the play was called The Town That Was Mad). There were a few occasions when I disagreed with some of the choices, such as Katie Elin-Salt’s elongated – and loud – vocal delivery as Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, and Simon Nehan’s boggle-eyed doddering old Rev Eli Jenkins (seeming less like a gentle elderly preacher, and more like a trouser-fiddling old lech). But these were counter-balanced by those same actor’s interpretations of other characters, such as Elin-Salt’s beautifully mournful singing as Polly Garter, and Nehan’s jokey Butcher Beynon. Amongst many other enjoyable characters there was Sophie Melville’s ice-cold Mrs Pugh, Kai Owen’s jolly drunkard Cherry Owen, and Steven Meo’s moody Nogood Boyo, to name but a few. Meo’s exaggerated performance as Ocky Milkman even drove Owe Teale’s stoic First Voice to crease-up with laughter on no less than three separate occasions (fortunately this only added to the overall vibe of the piece, and the audience responded to this warmly).

The humour of the play came across frequently, but there were also a couple of moments of genuine poignancy – in particular the scene between old blind Captain Cat, and his long lost sea-love Rosie Probert, which fittingly occurred toward’s the play’s conclusion, by which time the lighting had faded right down, and the lights had come on in the little windows of the set model of the town. Ifan Huw Dafydd’s mournful cries of “come back, come back” as Rosie fades away, were genuinely touching.  

This was a very enjoyable performance of one of my favourite plays, and even though there were certain aspects that I wasn’t as keen on, they only made up a small part of what was overall a highly entertaining production, and a very fulfilling night out.

Game of Thrones - Season Four: Oathkeeper

Bookreaders have always been able to enjoy a sense of smugness when it comes to knowing what’s going to happen next. Recently we had the Purple Wedding, and people who had read the books had their cameras at the ready to record the reactions of their unsuspecting friends. Well it seems that changes are now in motion, as this week’s episode made several significant deviations from the books, throwing a cloud of ambiguity over next week’s episode.

The last third of the episode, based at the Wall and beyond, are where the most significant deviations occurred. Some of them were smaller, and carry more weight in book-form anyway (such as Sam telling Jon that he met Bran, whereas in the books he keeps it a secret – at Bran’s request) but the sudden addition of Locke to the Night’s Watch, and the enhanced involvement of the Night’ Watch deserters, is entirely new. Not to mention the capture of Bran’s group.

I can entirely understand why these changes were made, it raises the stakes for Jon’s planned assault on Craster’s Keep and gives a bit more development to the villains. With that said, I didn’t exactly enjoy the lengthy scene of Karl, Rast and the rest of the deserters. The scene did its job of making me hate these characters and wanting to see them die, but they aren’t interesting or compelling villains; something the show otherwise thrives in.

I’m also really intrigued by what’s now going to happen with Bran and his group, now that various storylines are set to converge. Jon seems poised to be reunited with his younger half-brother, and Locke (clearly up to no good, as we last saw him set out to find the youngest Stark brothers) will be caught in the mix too. The stakes are high for the showdown at Craster’s Keep, and are raised even higher by the fact that this event is entirely manufactured for the show. I can make some fairly safe predictions about how this will all play out, but the fact that I don’t actually know what will happen is very intriguing. For the first time since I watched the first season, I actually don’t know what’s going to happen.

Elsewhere in this episode, we were given an answer to the mystery of who really killed Joffrey. Of course it wasn’t Tyrion, although it’s not the first time Tyrion has been framed for murder, for which he’s had to face a trial. And there was more than one perpetrator, both characters who have waited around the peripherals of the major storylines, avoiding suspicion while influencing the Game of Thrones. Littlefinger played a part, demonstrating the effectiveness of his methods (“I’m not going to fight them, I’m going to fuck them”) manipulation, persuasion and ruthlessness, as opposed to strength in battle. He also appears to have intentions for Sansa, as he was in love with her mother, and as Catelyn is now dead he will likely keep Sansa close. When he put his hand on her arm, after she asked him what he wanted was a very loaded moment.

But since Littlefinger was nowhere near the capital around the time of the Royal Wedding he can’t have been the only one involved in the death of the king. And as Littlefinger talks about his “new friends” the scene transitions to the gardens at King’s Landing, where Olenna reveals (without ever needing to state outright) that she played a part too. The dialogue between Margery and Olenna also set in motion a new phase in the Tyrell’s power-play: that Margery should get closer to Tommen, the boy king. There is nothing sexual about the relationship between Margery and Tommen – although the show could deviate from this – but she treats him very well, much to the ire of Cersei.

There was a significant backlash to the rape scene in last week’s episode, and the writers seem to have realised that it was an error. Nevertheless it happened, and we can’t pretend it didn’t; although it seems that the writers want to ignore it now. Jaime was at the core of many of the King’s Landing scenes this week, developing his left-handed swordplay, consoling one sibling, confronting the other, and then redeeming himself for his release by gifting Brienne with his Valyrian steel sword, and setting her the charge of seeking out Sansa Stark and defending her. This is something we’ve seen before, but now that the show is more established and we’ve spent more time with these characters we can appreciate the significance of certain actions more: in Season One Commander Mormont gave Jon Snow a Valyrian steel sword, now we see a similar gesture again with Jaime and Brienne. Jaime has changed from the man who pushed Bran from a tower, and attacked Ned Stark; now he’s giving up a part of his legacy to protect one of the remaining Starks. Perhaps the rape scene was one last gesture to demonstrate who the character used to be, further highlighting the man he has become. I can’t justify the action, but that’s my speculation.

And strangely I conclude my synopsis with the beginning of the episode. Grey Worm received an impressive moment of glory, rallying the slaves of Meereen to join Dany’s cause, and just like Drogo before him, proving that a made up language can be surprisingly effective. There was also a scene between Grey Worm and Missandei where they gave a brief insight into their pasts; lives of slavery and oppression. One thing that I found unusual about this scene was how suspicious Missandei looked when Dany entered, just after repeating the phrase “kill the masters”.

Daenery’s won another impressive victory, without needing to lose any of her army, liberating more slaves and winning more support. Everything is going pretty well for the mother of dragons, but she is running the risk of becoming more like the people she hates, which I think is the reason Ser Barristan offered her the counsel to be merciful (be the bigger person, don’t become the thing you hate), after all he knew her father: the Mad King, which legitimizes his concerns.

Another strong episode that really emphasised the ways in which the show is changing, characters are finding themselves in new surroundings, or amongst new companions. The show once again succeeds in making me feel impatient to see the next episode already!

Oh, and we received another reminder that the White Walkers are still out there, and are still a threat! 

Embrace (Album) - Embrace

Eight years is a very long time. Popular culture is an impatient medium, and so it is likely that a significant majority of people will have forgotten about Embrace, since the release of their 2006 album This New Day. I was a latecomer to the music of Embrace, and it seemed to me that I had arrived on the scene around a time when they truly had vanished without a trace (it was incredibly rare to find copies of their albums in music stores – especially Drawn From Memory and If You’ve Never Been). Nevertheless, this downtime allowed me to acquire copies of all five of their albums, and I eagerly awaited the release of their next album. This was around 2008, so I had a long wait ahead of me!

The band’s website was practically non-existant, the Twitter accounts of the band members never seemed to have any news where the band were, and any news articles floating around tended to be from 2006. The band had truly vanished, which is an impressive feat in the digital age of social media.

But then, out of nothing (!) news and rumours began to emerge, Danny McNamara stated in an interview that the band had not split up, but were “champing at the bit” to get back out there. He also mentioned that the reason they had been away for so long was because they wanted their next album to be the best it could be – the band’s best album since their 1998 debut The Good Will Out. Nevertheless, loyal and dedicated fans of the group would have to continue to be patient, now that a new album was confirmed, the wait seemed to get longer. People wanted a release date, an album title, the track listings, some new artwork, anything…

And when it finally came, fans of the band were elated; the new album would be called Embrace, it would be released on April 28^th, the band would be touring again following the release, and two singles were made available ahead of the album’s release. Patience is a virtue, and patience was rewarded!

So, onto the album itself.

The band promised that the new album would raw-er and darker than anything that had preceded it, and this becomes clear right from the start, as soon as the opening track ‘Protection’ begins. A bass-y electronic buzz underscores the track, and some urgent lead-guitar riffs cut right through it, before Danny’s vocals emerge – sounding more confident than ever. The track builds momentum nicely, before a commanding drum beat signals the arrival of the chorus, which is every bit as energised and anthemic as the band’s greatest tracks. It’s a strong way to kick things off, and the energy runs right into the next track: ‘In The End’ a song destined for stadiums and festivals. The guitars and drums are in a frantic race with one another right from the start, and a synthesiser carries the song into the stratosphere.

Up next is the first single ‘Refugees’ which I’ve had more time to process, having now heard it many times. It’s a song that has a definite staying power, as I actually like it even more than I did when I first heard it. Richard McNamara takes the lead vocals on this track, demonstrating a natural ability for singing in a higher register. The song perfectly showcases the band’s newfound energy and rekindled fire, a natural choice for the lead single: ‘Refugees’ gives a really strong sense of what kind of album to expect.

I was very excited to hear ‘I Run’ as Danny had posted on the group’s facebook page several months ago when he’d just written it, expressing his excitement about this new song. The song is less electronically charged than the majority of the album, and the musical arrangement is more straightforward, allowing the lyrics to shine through. The fact that there is another towering chorus should really go without saying at this point. It is definitely one of the tracks that will get stuck in your head, and is one of my favourites from the album. Second single ‘Follow You Home’ then marks the halfway point of the album with an exclamation point, a catchy tune with a pounding drum-beat offsetting the sinister lyrical content about someone stalking his ex-girlfriend online.

The tone then shifts dramatically, not just as far as the album is concerned, but from anything we’ve ever heard from Embrace up until now. ‘Quarters’ really catches the listener off-guard, a track that wouldn’t feel out of place in an eighties disco. I think it’s something I’m going to have to hear more before I decide whether I like it or not. ‘At Once’ then restores a sense of familiarity once again, before we get this album’s equivalent of ‘Yeah You’ in the form of ‘Self Attack Mechanism’ an unrelenting attack on the senses, a track that races along at break-neck speed from start to finish.

‘The Devil Looks After His Own’ continues along a similar path to that set by its predecessor, albeit with slightly less frenzied vocals. With the album drawing to a close the energy shows no signs of letting up, a fitting indication of the band’s desire to get themselves out there once again.

Embrace have often excelled when it comes to album closers, and ‘Thief On My Island’ doesn’t disappoint. As a change of pace from the majority of the album the track takes its time, slowly building and creating a strong dramatic atmosphere. The energy and sense of urgency that pulsated through the whole album is as palpable as ever. Dancing piano scales interspersed with colossal blasts of distortion close out the album in a major way – similar, but entirely distinct from the final moments of Out Of Nothing.

Something that I should emphasise is that, although a lot of the tracks follow a similar formula when it comes to building up a grand and anthemic chorus, the album as a whole never feels formulaic. Every song feels distinct and new, never feeling like a rehashing of older ideas. I guess that the band can really be taken at their word when they said they wanted this album to be the best that it could be.

Another admirable trait is the band’s ability to create accessible tunes that are laced with darker content, and with more of an edge than before. It is still unmistakeably Embrace, huge choruses and stadium-destined anthems, but below the surface there is a lot more at work, which I really think will allow the album to hold up as time passes.

Embrace is an album that delivers what the band promised, and it is gratifying to see that the band were willing to work hard at their craft – even though it meant disappearing for a while – rather than go through the motions and churn out content of a lower quality. It is an album that positively crackles with electricity and energy right the way through.

However, I do have one final thought: now that Embrace are back – re-energised and ready to be rediscovered (and re-embraced) – what will they do next? How will they follow up this album? Now that is something I’d be very interested to see. 

Game of Thrones - Season Four: Breaker Of Chains

This episode picks up in the immediate aftermath of the Purple Wedding, commencing with a shot of Joffrey’s purple face. Cersei screams for Tyrion to be arrested and Tywin orders a lockdown of the city – “nobody leaves the Capital!” It would seem that there is a new Kingslayer on the loose… but who did it?

Alongside Tyrion, one of the prime suspects is Sansa, who we see being hastily spirited away by Ser Dontos. Clearly Dontos is connected to the murder, as he was ready to help Sansa escape the moment Joffrey started choking, but he’s not the actual perpetrator. Having been a captive for the best part of three seasons, Sansa finally escapes from King’s Landing. She then comes face to face with her true rescuer, Littlefinger (or Petyr, as he insists she call him). It’s been a while since we last saw Littlefinger, but the episode wastes very little time in reminding everyone of how cold and ruthless he can be. Dontos’ payment for delivering Sansa is a couple of crossbow bolts (one of which catches him right in the face – nasty!) which will certainly keep him silent. Littlefinger then reveals that the necklace Dontos gave to Sansa was a worthless trinket he’d recently had made.

Charles Dance was on top form (as ever) in this episode as fans were introduced to Tommen Baratheon – the character has appeared before but has since been recast, and he was in last week’s episode but didn’t do much – who is now set to become the new king. While Cersei looked on with grief and annoyance Tywin gave Tommen a lecture on what makes a good king. This was a very interesting and well-acted scene, and it certainly sets up a more beneficial role for Tywin going forward, as he will effectively be the king in all but name. Tommen is a much kinder child than Joffrey, and several characters remarked about how he will be much easier to handle.

A very strong scene then transitioned into a highly uncomfortable one, all in the same setting, at Joffrey’s death-bed. There is something rather tragic about the fact that nobody (apart from Cersei) mourned the death of the king – but then again, this is Joffrey we’re talking about. Anyway, Jaime arrived and had the priests exit the chamber so that he could be alone with Cersei. She ordered him to kill Tyrion, which he refused to do (this is a little reminiscent of Much Ado About Nothing – “Kill Claudio” “Not for the wide world”). The two of them seemed poised to share a tender moment – or as tender as it can be considering their relationship – but then Cersei shuddered at the touch of his artificial hand. This angered Jaime to the point that he forced himself upon her, an uncomfortable scene in any setting, but made even more so due to the location (next to the recently deceased corpse of their illegitimate son). Just as fans were coming around to start liking Jaime, something like this happens.

This motif was also present in a sequence involving Arya and The Hound. Here we have another character whom audiences have warmed to as time has gone by, but this episode delivers harsh reminders that they are not good people, though they may be capable of good deeds. Arya managed to persuade a kindly farmer to provide them with food and shelter, only to have The Hound knock the man out and steal his silver. It’s a harsh world, and it would seem that the only way to get by is to be just as harsh. Arya has done bad things herself, but this scene revealed that she still has a conscience, and there is a line that she won’t cross. The scene around the dinner table was so awkward it was almost comical, but highly uncomfortable as well. That said it did serve a decent purpose, pointing out the sorry state of Westeros ever since the Red Wedding and the falls of House Stark and House Tully.

Something I had previously complained about was remedied somewhat in this episode, as Stannis was able to demonstrate his knowledge and strategic mind to an extent – berating Davos for his well-meaning, yet largely ineffective support. I’m still looking forward to seeing more of Stannis as a hard, but just commander – something that is needed in Westeros right now, considering the elevated statuses of men like Roose Bolton and Walder Frey. Davos then had a brainwave and decided to appeal to the Iron Bank of Braavos for assistance towards Stannis’ cause.

Further north the Wildlings massacred a small village, cutting short a rather corny dialogue between a father and a son, and managing to make me transition between feeling bemused and feeling sympathetic in a matter of seconds. Styr, the cannibalistic Thenn tribesman allowed the young boy to go free so that he could deliver a warning message to Castle Black. The Night’s Watch then receive the warning, and the sorry state of their forces is revealed as Maester Aemon states that there’s barely one hundred men at The Wall, and a lot of them aren’t fighting men either. Things aren’t looking too good for the Night’s Watch, and they’re made even worse when Grenn and (Dolorous) Edd return from Craster’s Keep to reveal the treachery of some of their other brothers. Curiously nobody mentioned the fact that Commander Mormont was killed – do the characters at The Wall already know that?

Oberyn and Eliria were seen in yet another brothel scene, but were interrupted by Tywin, who was able to demonstrate impressive powers of diplomacy and persuasion, supposedly coercing a potential enemy into being an ally. Alongside Tywin and Mace Tyrell, Oberyn will act as a judge for Tyrion’s trial.

Tyrion was then visited by Pod in his cell and learned of the grim state of his current predicament. Tyrion is poised to face a trial on the charge of poisoning the king, and it doesn’t seem as though he has many people to speak on his behalf. Sansa has fled the Capital, Varys is already speaking for the prosecution, Shae was sent away on Tyrion’s own (reluctant) request, and Jaime is caught in between both his siblings in this instance. Tyrion then relieved Pod of his duty as a squire, not wanting any harm to come to one of his few truly loyal friends. The scene between the two was surprisingly moving.

The new Daario Naharis received a chance to prove himself as Daenerys’ chosen champion, to fight against the champion of Meereen. In a highly unusual face-off, Daario casually brought down the Meereenese champion in a matter of seconds. Maybe this will help audiences to take more of a shine to the new actor. Dany then launched a barrage of wooden barrels into the city, containing broken chains. The slaves will be freed once again, it would seem.

This episode had plenty of development, but did not quite match the one that preceded it. It was still a very entertaining episode, but was let down by the rape scene and also the charming-yet-clunky relationship between Sam and Gilly. John Bradley is an immensely likeable actor, and he brings a lot of warmth to the role of Sam, but these scenes did drag on a bit too long. Nevertheless, the tyrannical boy-king is dead, and a much more mild-mannered boy-king is set to take his place, Tyrion is set to face a trial on a very high charge, Sansa has escaped King’s Landing – but has ended up in the protection of someone very dangerous indeed, the Night’s Watch is in serious danger, and Dany is set to conquer another city. In the wake of a huge event various plot-lines continue to move forward. This was a transitional episode, but as transitional episodes go it had plenty of engaging content.