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[[Ann Powers]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called Maxwell "an expert seducer" and the music "the aural equivalent of lotion rubbed on one's back by someone interesting", but felt that the lyrics lack substance.<ref name="Powers">Powers, Ann. [http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/14/arts/critic-s-choice-pop-cd-s-beach-boys-and-girls-of-summer.html?scp=1&sq=Maxwell%20Embrya&st=cse Review: ''Embrya'']. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-24.</ref> [[Greg Tate]] of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine said that the album "comes as as a tad [[New Age music|New Agey]], [[art rock|art-rock]] pretentious, emotionally calculated, and sappy."<ref name="Tate"/> [[Dream Hampton]], writing in ''[[The Village Voice]]'', said that the "listless and unfocused" songwriting does not redeem the "ridiculous, loaded song titles" and found the music "lazy": "The band drones along as if in some somnambulant session that never ends."<ref name="Hampton">Hampton, Dream. [http://www.villagevoice.com/1998-07-14/music/he-wants-you-to-want-him Review: ''Embrya'']. ''[[The Village Voice]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-24.</ref> In his consumer guide for ''The Village Voice'', [[Robert Christgau]] cited "Luxure: Cococure" as a "choice cut",<ref name="Christgau">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|authorlink=Robert Christgau|date=February 23, 1999|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv199-99.php|title=Consumer Guide|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|location=New York|accessdate=May 5, 2013}}</ref> indicating "a good song on an album that isn't worth your time or money".<ref>{{cite web|year=2000|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg90/grades-90s.php|title=Key to Icons|publisher=Robert Christgau|accessdate=November 23, 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6CP5khHln|archivedate=November 23, 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
[[Ann Powers]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called Maxwell "an expert seducer" and the music "the aural equivalent of lotion rubbed on one's back by someone interesting", but felt that the lyrics lack substance.<ref name="Powers">Powers, Ann. [http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/14/arts/critic-s-choice-pop-cd-s-beach-boys-and-girls-of-summer.html?scp=1&sq=Maxwell%20Embrya&st=cse Review: ''Embrya'']. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-24.</ref> [[Greg Tate]] of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine said that the album "comes as as a tad [[New Age music|New Agey]], [[art rock|art-rock]] pretentious, emotionally calculated, and sappy."<ref name="Tate"/> [[Dream Hampton]], writing in ''[[The Village Voice]]'', said that the "listless and unfocused" songwriting does not redeem the "ridiculous, loaded song titles" and found the music "lazy": "The band drones along as if in some somnambulant session that never ends."<ref name="Hampton">Hampton, Dream. [http://www.villagevoice.com/1998-07-14/music/he-wants-you-to-want-him Review: ''Embrya'']. ''[[The Village Voice]]''. Retrieved on 2009-09-24.</ref>


Connie Johnson of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' viewed Maxwell's music as unique and the album as an improvement from his debut album, which was "somewhat derivative".<ref name="Johnson"/> [[Rob Sheffield]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine complimented its lush musical backdrops and found the songs "pretty wonderful, even though they're impossible to tell apart or to remember after they're done."<ref name="Sheffield"/> [[David Browne]], writing in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', called the album "beautiful R&B background music" and felt that, despite vague and pretentious lyrics, it serves as "the culmination of the retro-soul movement that began taking shape several years ago."<ref name="Browne"/> Amy Linden of ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' called it "neo-soul via ambience" and said that "like smoke, Maxwell's love songs drift away, fading ever so seductively into the background, where they stay."<ref name="Linden">Linden, Amy. "[http://books.google.com/books?id=JywEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA153&dq= Review: ''Embrya'']". ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'': 153–154. August 1998.</ref>
Connie Johnson of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' viewed Maxwell's music as unique and the album as an improvement from his debut album, which was "somewhat derivative".<ref name="Johnson"/> [[Rob Sheffield]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine complimented its lush musical backdrops and found the songs "pretty wonderful, even though they're impossible to tell apart or to remember after they're done."<ref name="Sheffield"/> [[David Browne]], writing in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', called the album "beautiful R&B background music" and felt that, despite vague and pretentious lyrics, it serves as "the culmination of the retro-soul movement that began taking shape several years ago."<ref name="Browne"/> Amy Linden of ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' called it "neo-soul via ambience" and said that "like smoke, Maxwell's love songs drift away, fading ever so seductively into the background, where they stay."<ref name="Linden">Linden, Amy. "[http://books.google.com/books?id=JywEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA153&dq= Review: ''Embrya'']". ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'': 153–154. August 1998.</ref>

Revision as of 18:34, 16 July 2013

Untitled

Embyra is the second studio album by R&B and neo soul musician Maxwell, released on June 30, 1998, by Columbia Records. As with his previous album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, Maxwell collaborated with Stuart Matthewman, a long-time cohort of Sade.

With a lesser jazz emphasis, Embrya continues the trend towards heavy basslines and string arrangements, and it focuses on themes such as love and spirituality. However, the album features more of an emphasis on groove than melodies.[2] Its production sound contains bassy, electronic and slight syncopated beats.[3] Maxwell has defined the album's title as "an approaching growing transition thought to be contained but destined for broader perception."[4] Embrya certified Platinum May 26, 1999 and garnered Maxwell a new alternative fanbase.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[6]
Chicago Sun-Times[7]
Robert Christgau(choice cut)[8]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[9]
Los Angeles Times[10]
Q[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[13]
Spin7/10[2]
USA Today[14]

Ann Powers of The New York Times called Maxwell "an expert seducer" and the music "the aural equivalent of lotion rubbed on one's back by someone interesting", but felt that the lyrics lack substance.[15] Greg Tate of Spin magazine said that the album "comes as as a tad New Agey, art-rock pretentious, emotionally calculated, and sappy."[2] Dream Hampton, writing in The Village Voice, said that the "listless and unfocused" songwriting does not redeem the "ridiculous, loaded song titles" and found the music "lazy": "The band drones along as if in some somnambulant session that never ends."[16]

Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times viewed Maxwell's music as unique and the album as an improvement from his debut album, which was "somewhat derivative".[10] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine complimented its lush musical backdrops and found the songs "pretty wonderful, even though they're impossible to tell apart or to remember after they're done."[12] David Browne, writing in Entertainment Weekly, called the album "beautiful R&B background music" and felt that, despite vague and pretentious lyrics, it serves as "the culmination of the retro-soul movement that began taking shape several years ago."[9] Amy Linden of Vibe called it "neo-soul via ambience" and said that "like smoke, Maxwell's love songs drift away, fading ever so seductively into the background, where they stay."[1]

Embrya was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, losing to Erykah Badu's Baduizm (1997).[17] In 1999, it won the Soul Train Music Award for Best Male Soul/R&B Album.[18] In a retrospective review for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that Maxwell "overstuffs his songs with ideas that lead nowhere" and called Embrya "a bit of a sophomore stumble, albeit one with promising moments."[6] Arion Berger, writing in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), found the songs monotonous and called the album "unfocused and pretentious ... full of overwrought, underwritten songs with obscure, fancy titles revolving around a sort of sexual gnosticism."[13]

Track listing

All songs written by Maxwell (credited as Musze), excepted where noted.

  1. "Gestation: Mythos" (pre-gap track; rewind from track 1 to find) [3:11]
  2. "Everwanting: To Want You To Want" [7:30]
  3. "I'm You: You Are Me And We Are You (Pt. Me & You)" [6:31]
  4. "Luxury: Cococure" [5:30]
  5. "Drowndeep: Hula" (Stuart Matthewman, Musze) [5:39]
  6. "Matrimony: Maybe You" [4:37]
  7. "Arroz Con Pollo" [2:55]
  8. "Know These Things: Shouldn't You" (Matthewman, Musze) [5:14]
  9. "Submerge: Til We Become The Sun" [6:24]
  10. "Gravity: Pushing To Pull" (Matthewman, Musze) [6:11]
  11. "Eachhoureachsecondeachminuteeachday: Of My Life" [5:51]
  12. "Embrya" [3:04]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Allmusic.[19]

Charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position[20]
US Billboard 200 3
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 2

References

  1. ^ a b Linden, Amy. "Review: Embrya". Vibe: 153–154. August 1998.
  2. ^ a b c Tate, Greg (1998). "Review: Embrya". Spin. New York: 136–7. Retrieved May 5, 2013. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Johnson Jr., Billy. "Embrya". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  4. ^ Harrington, Richard. Maxwell's `Embrya,' In the Mood for Love. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2009-03-30.
  5. ^ http://www.thelatestmaxwellnews.com/music/embrya/
  6. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Review: Embrya. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-09-24.
  7. ^ Litte, Rebecca. "Review: Embrya". Chicago Sun-Times: July 12, 1998. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24. (Transcription of original review at talk page)
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Christgau was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Browne, David. Review: Embrya. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-09-24.
  10. ^ a b Johnson, Connie. Review: Embrya. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2009-09-24. (Star rating found at archived page)
  11. ^ "Review: Embrya". Q. London: 124. 2002. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  12. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob. "Review: Embrya". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved 2009-09-24. {{cite journal}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 5, 2009 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ a b Berger et al. 2004, p. 521.
  14. ^ Jones, Steve. "Review: Embrya". USA Today: June 30, 1998. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24. (Transcription of original review at talk page)
  15. ^ Powers, Ann. Review: Embrya. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-09-24.
  16. ^ Hampton, Dream. Review: Embrya. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-09-24.
  17. ^ 14th Annual Soul Train Award Winners allyourtv.com/awards/ March 6, 2000
  18. ^ "Embrya - Maxwell: Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved May 5, 2013.
  19. ^ www.billboard.com maxwell emrya

Bibliography

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