The Heir Apparent

"From his first meeting with Copland, Bernstein regarded November 14 as a lucky date: and so it proved to be again in 1943… In August 1943 Artur Rodzinsky, the new music director of the New York Philharmonic, named Bernstein assistant conductor. On Sunday, November 14, 1943, guest conductor Bruno Walter fell ill. Bernstein was awakened that morning with the news that he would have to conduct the concert - on a national radio broadcast - without benefit of a rehearsal. As they say, the rest is history. Bu Monday, Leonard Bernstein was the heir apparent, the American most likely to success as a conductor in his own country, where the field was still dominated by foreign-born musicians"

Steven Ledbetter

Debut albums rarely arrive with as much expectation as Embrace's The Good Will Out – in Britain, at least. Arriving after the massive success of Oasis and the Verve, The Good Will Out was perceived as the heir apparent to the lad-rock throne. One listen to The Good Will Out illustrates why – the group ingeniously combines the anthemic hooks and monolithic roar of Oasis with the sweeping aural majesty of the Verve. That alone makes the album a bracing listen, but The Good Will Out doesn't quite have enough substance to compete in the big leagues. Danny McNamara simply doesn't have the charisma of Liam Gallagher or Richard Ashcroft, and his songs aren't as immediate or memorable as Noel Gallagher's or Ashcroft's. That's not to say they're bad songs – on the contrary, they're quite good, and they're performed passionately. It's just that in comparison to their peers – who really are their influences, as well – they lack that certain magic. Nevertheless, The Good Will Out illustrates enough promise and panache to make it a first-rate debut.