The tens, a decade like no other since the 1960s. The arse fell out of the industry, record deals died, and a shot for working class glory dramatically fell by the wayside and reality TV reigned supreme for a way out.
This was a decade that threw out some wonderful moments but were under documented. In this series, we look back at the ones that mattered most. Rock’n’Roll found a way.
Embrace – Refugees
One of the 00’s most unlikely moments came from West Yorkshire’s Embrace. Three albums in, no-one expected anything from their fourth ‘Out Of Nothing’. What they got was a stunning piece of euphoric indie rock, launching them to the heart of a burgeoning scene of newbies (The Killers, Bloc Party & Kasabian).
Surprising as this was, it was only seven years on from their classic debut ‘The Good Will Out’. Their self-titled album was eight years on from the critical failure of ‘The New Day’, this album was surely just something to put out for loyal fans right?
What came to pass, was the rebirth of their awe inspiring anthemic melodies, radiating their love of the Bunnymen and New Order. Predominantly written by guitarist Richard McNamara, lead singer and brother Danny canned 50 of his own songs upon hearing the demo. At the core of this album’s success was the lead single, “Refugees”. The power this song possessed not only won them a place back in the hearts, but more crucially the minds, of the UK’s alternative community.
All the hallmarks of the band’s agony/ecstasy dichotomy were there, but this time sonically reimagined with post-apocalyptic rave drum loops, adding a touch of life and death drama the subject matter so rightly deserved. There is no sense of any sort of happy ending until Danny’s vocal in the latter stages of the track; even the euphoric uplift of Richard’s early chorus leaves the listener with a sense of woe.
The power of this New Order meets Embrace epic, comes crashing home lyrically in the second line:
“Like Bonnie & Clyde except we don't die tonight”
Does another monostich encapsulate the liberal decline of the UK more this decade?
In February 2013, BBC3 sketch show ‘The Revolution Will Be Televised’ took to the streets to ask “have we forgot about Syria?”. It was great satire but, sadly the reality was far worse. After the disastrous anti-democratic intervention in Iraq, Britain had lost its stomach to do the right thing in foreign lands. What was once a sympathetic land, had become one where it increasingly only likes white faces. When thirty-nine dead Chinese refugees were discovered in a lorry in Thurrock, the story barely ran for a week in the British media. Where was the outrage? Where was our heart? Grenfell, Windrush, the examples in this decade go on!
Embrace’s ability to rouse their fans is often taken for granted, often taking them elsewhere. Only here, the journey is very different. Anchoring the conscious in the Syrian conflict, the band shed light on just how the UK had let itself down. The honesty of the self-reflection of the way we casually ignore war zones and genocide takes integrity to another level:
“And my only defence is the worst of me / Out in the open for all to see”
