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I don't know what album I bought but it obviously wasn't the same as everyone else. For me 'If You've Never Been' is by far the lesser of Embrace's albums. Whilst 'The Good Will Out' was technically raw, it did have it all. It was full of melody, boasted an array of tempos, with awesome riffs, heartfelt piano and breathtaking brass sections. The only downside to 'The Good Will Out' was that it was only 58 minutes long. Yeah I know. 'Drawn From Memory' then set about correcting some of the over enthusiasm that went into the first record. And to be fair they did achieve this, but it did come at a cost. Whilst the songs were far slicker in their production, some were evidently lacking that X factor that adorned 'The Good Will Out'. 'If You've Never Been' only continued this theme by continuing to improve production at cost to the songs. Now don't get me wrong 'If You've Never Been' isn't bad, its just that its pleasant and that's wherein lies the problem. Songs like 'I Hope Your Happy Now', 'Many Will Learn', 'Its Gonna Take Time', 'Hey What Are You Trying To Say' and 'If You've Never Been In Love With Anything' are nice enough but not songs to jump up and down about. And while the rest are of a higher quality (except the unpleasant 'Happiness Will Get You In The End') they not as proficient as all that came before and hence why 'Wonder' and 'Make It Last' didn't chart too well. Fear not though because Embrace will be back because in Danny McNamara they do have Britain's premier melody maker. For confirmation of this you only have to listen to 'Over', a song that should have been greater than its parts but sadly wasn't. My only hope now is that they continue to move forward because some of their instrumental sections of late have been very impressive, but also take a step back by re-tracing the steps that a few years ago made them Britain's most exciting band.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Danny McNamara ...can still shoehorn more emotional force into the opening seven and a half minutes of the cd then most bands can fit into five albums. He's also a clever man. By cunningly starting and finishing the album with two of the most impressive songs he or anyone else will ever write, (Over and Satellites), the largely pedestrian mid-section is effectively disguised. So what if the title track's mid-paced meandering or the fiddly guitar of Make It Last come nowhere near the pop genius of Hooligan, or the raw, fragile beauty of Fireworks? By the time Satellites' keyboards fade into the sunset, we remember why we love this band again. Because they make music for 'the people', and they're damn good at it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This is Embrace's third Album, and it's their best yet. They've roped in Ken Nelson (Coldplay's Producer) to help make this masterpiece with them. And in the process made Coldplay sound like Hear'say. 'Over', 'Wonder' and 'Make it last' are quite simply genius. 'If You've Never been in love with anything' shares the quirkiness of Badly Drawn Boy (another one of Ken's happy customers) with its use of an accordion. And 'Happiness Will Get You in the End' is just beautiful. Listen and You'll understand.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Embrace have produced some glorious songs, so it is a shame that they are remembered by people unfamiliar with their work for the anthemic Come Back To What You Know, rather than the enduringly beautiful Fireworks.With their last two albums, they got so close, but put too much in. With Good Will Out, their ballads and poignant piano-led numbers were overshadowed (or rather bullied) by the more Oasis-like screaming tracks.With Drawn From Memory, they tried something more eclectic and, whilst it had its moments, as a whole it didn't stand up as well. Despite standout tracks You're Not Alone and the kazoo inspired Hooligan, it all seemed clever but a bit contrived.Now, with In You've Never Been, despite the uninspiring title (surely an eponymous Embrace album would've been better), they have released an album of ten songs that doesn't have a duff track on it and, if played from start to end, all hangs together very well.The first track Over is a great opener and sets the standard for the rest of the album. For once, the orchestration on an Embrace track is well balanced with the other elements. I Hope You're Happy Now has a brief but catchy chorus and leads into the first single on the album, Wonder. Not sure what this song is all about, but it works well. Many Will Learn, probably the weakest track on the album, sounds like a Simon and Garfunkel b-side. It's Gonna Take Time ups the tempo at just the right moment, but for once keeps the vocals clear. The best track, Hey, What You Trying To Say, is one you'll keep skipping forward to. Great hook and a brilliantly understated vocal - "Stars remind you you see the best in the dark..."The next track If You've Never Been In Love With Anything starts on familiar ground, then moves onto a catchy chorus and some tongue-in-cheek Beach Boys-style singalong vocals. Make It Last has a great first line - "Why did you run? I'll always let you leave" - and mirrors Wonder in its structure. But it's a superb track, even though the vocal is not as nearly as good as the single version, for which it was re-recorded. Happiness Will Get You In The End is the sound of Embrace winding the album down. Played as a whole, at this point you start to realise it's going to end soon... A slow number, Happiness is a great antidote to the preceeding few uptempo songs. It also segues brilliantly into Satellites, which is like one of those brilliant Embrace b-sides that you feel lucky to have stumbled across (Embrace fans will understand!). It has the sound of crashing waves in the background and Danny's voice lets us down gently. It leaves you wanting to press play again and play Over once more.Danny's vocals are finally coming into their own. I wish in a world where Travis conquer all with their lollipop lyrics and bland live act that Embrace were embraced by more people. This album is a perfect place to start your acquaintance. When will they release a compilation of their b-sides?

Rating: 5 out of 5

Having loved, in places, 'The Good Will Out', and then been very dissapointed with 'Drawn from memory', I wasn't sure whether to invest in this album, but I'm glad I did. It is their most consistent album yet, with a more gentle, melodic overall feel, than their previous outings. They write such great tunes and simple, but quite meaningful, lyrics that often resonate with some aspect of my life and thought. And the heavily criticised voice? Well, the songs on 'If You've never been' suit Danny McNamara's voice particularly well, even if his voice will never rank among the best. I guess you make the best out of what you've got. This album is a good antidote to the depressing, far too clever by half, rock music by such overated bands as Radiohead. It's uplifting and a singalonga treat. One of the albums of the year for what it's worth. I can't give four and a half stars so, although not perfect of course, I will give it 5.Keep reading the philosophy Embrace and keep crafting great melody.

Rating: 5 out of 5