Released in 2002, before the band broke from Hut and moved to Indepediente, Fireworks: Singles 97-02 is, as the title indicates, 13 of Embrace's singles during that time period. Culled from three albums, The Good Will Out, Drawn from Memory, and If You've Never Been, the compilation is a good collection of what the group offered and a nice look back into late-'90s British rock. With cuts like "All You Good Good People," "I Wouldn't Wanna Happen to You," "One Big Family," and "Wonder" (plus a cover of the Schoolhouse Rock! track "Three Is a Magic Number"), Fireworks is a good choice for Embrace fans who want to relive the band's glory years without having to invest in the full albums.

Embrace's early comparisons to Oasis now seem hopelessly optimistic and Fireworks, their collection of singles to date, seems to be an attempt to draw a line under this period and start afresh. Judging by the newer songs here, such as the gorgeously delicate "Wonder", they've already started this process, shifting focus away from the band-who have always been oddly bland and forgettable-and onto the songs. Like James, Embrace are a group that have released some cracking songs that you always attributed to someone else. From the Britpop inflected "All You Good Good People" to the playful kazoo and Beta Band shuffle of "Hooligan", the McNamara Brothers certainly know how to write an incandescent melody and, aside from the woeful misadventure of their "Three Is A Magic Number" cover, it's hard to find fault with what's here. Whether a singles collection is really an admission to the turgid dross of their album fillers remains unclear, and these aren't songs that are going to change the world, but they provide a pleasing backdrop to the world ticking on.



Tracklist:

01. All You Good Good People (6:08)
02. You're Not Alone (4:30)
03. Come Back To What You Know (4:10)
04. Make It Last (4:24)
05. 3 Is A Magic Number (3:41)
06. One Big Family (4:07)
07. My Weakness Is None Of Your Business (3:19)
08. I Wouldn't Wanna Happen To You (3:49)
09. Save Me (4:37)
10. Hooligan (4:13)
11. The Good Will Out (6:56)
12. Wonder (4:27)
13. Fireworks (3:56)