ON the back of their number one album Out of Nothing, Embace came to Portsmouth as part of a two-month sell-out tour of the UK and western Europe.

Instant success enveloped Embrace when they released their smash debut album The Good Will Out in 1998, but two follow-up albums saw them all but disappear off the UK popular music radar.

Six years on and they are well and truly back.

Ably supported by Thirteen Senses, Embrace performed an hour-and-a half-long gig showing exactly why they so highly regarded for being able to churn out uplifting indie ballads.

Much of their sound is based around the sublime vocals of lead singer Danny McNamara. Sadly, in such fitting and intimate venue as the Pyramids, his mic was often drowned out on some of the more rousing numbers. It was at times frustrating wondering, as it seemed to be a technical oversight, why it wasn't immediately addressed.

Yet this didn't seem to dampen the Embrace devotees' spirits and interludes from Danny himself helped to motivate the crowd further.

Wanting to please an audience that was hanging on their every note, the five-piece soon launched into some of their older tracks including My Weakness is None of Your Business, one of my favourites Retread and Save Me.

We were also given an insight into their fifth album - which they are set to go into the studio to work on in the new year - with the slightly edgier track Even Smaller Stones.

A rousing rendition of the title track of their latest album Out of Nothing was a clear indication of why their popular fan base continues to grow. Their melodic yet grungy sound was lapped up by a crowd that will be keen to see them return to Portsmouth next year.

You have been warned.