Embrace

Embrace is the eponymously titled sixth studio album by English alternative rock band Embrace. The album, produced by vocalist Richard McNamara, was released on 25 April 2014 in Friday-release countries and on 28 April 2014 in the United Kingdom by independent record label Cooking Vinyl. The album was the band's first in eight years, after the release of their fifth studio album This New Day in 2006. Embrace, created with a goal to outdo their debut studio album, the critically acclaimed The Good Will Out, features a return to the band's original form, dropping the post-britpop influenced and commercially accessible sounds of their previous two albums, Out of Nothing and This New Day. On this album, the band draws influences from post-punk bands from the 1970s and 80s, with electronic instruments and sounds and further influences from hard rock music. With the creative process of the album lasting a total of three years of writing and another three years in production, Embrace was recorded at Richard McNamara's self-built Magnetic North Studios in Halifax, England. The album was lightly promoted by the band and label Cooking Vinyl in the lead-up to its release, with the launch of the album being accompanied by a limited theatrical run of the band's live film Magnetic North. The album's release cycle is reminiscent of the release cycle of The Good Will Out, with full-length extended plays and singles with multiple tracks being released in promotion of the album, a release cycle strategy which would otherwise be an unusual in the digital age of music. The album reached number 5 in the UK albums chart. Background Over eight years prior to the release of Embrace, the band released their fifth studio album, This New Day, in 2006. The album became the band's third to peak at number 1 in the UK Albums Chart, after making a "hot-shot" debut in the first week of release, and was received with positive reception, with the album currently certified as Gold in the UK. Two of the band's singles released in 2006 also made huge successes for the band; "Nature's Law", which was released as the lead single promoting This New Day, and "World at Your Feet", which was used as the official song of the England national football team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, charting at number 2 and 3 on the UK Singles Chart respectively.