Sign In to rate and review
Critic Reviews
83
It’s an album of traceless, amnesiac swellings, never seeming to quite know where it’s going or where it’s just been, flowing without ever seeming aware of its flowing, which is its truly remarkable achievement.
7y
70
Embrya comes off as a tad New Agey, art-rock pretentious, emotionally calculated, and Sappy. But what great rhythm and blues about the acid pit of desire doesn't?
11y
70
The songs are pretty wonderful, even though they're impossible to tell apart or to remember after they're done. (If you're concentrating that hard, you're clearly not making out while you listen, and that would hurt Maxwell's feelings.)
7y
70
There are times when Maxwell recalls Prince even, but he is not as much of an explorer. And that is his big problem, for by the final third of Embrya the unchanging mood has blurred the effect Sure the songs in the second half don't have the kick of the first but it can't be the only reason.
2y
60
Maxwell does have a remarkable voice and he can write really good modern soul songs -- it's just that he has a tendency to think that's not enough and then he overstuffs his songs with ideas that lead nowhere.
11y
this man gotta be from another universe cause how is he this smooth? 😭 maxwell is a super underrated name in the R&B neo soul scene he made some of the arguably best music in the genre in the late 90's this here is no exception this is a more than worthy follow up to his debut album check it out 🙏
Gerald Maxwell Rivera's second album was seen as a flop by the then-critics. They scored Maxwell's ambitions as too high to be able to cope with, remarked the song titles't doesn't deliver the lyrics they promised and valued the applicability of the album as background music at most. Nevertheless the album was sold a millionfold and it's not forgotten today, therefore nowadays several music afficionados see in his first two albums the foundation of the that times new musical genre neo-soul. ... read more
Stupid sexy Maxwell and his stupid sexy music, I can hardly handle it!
Recs:
- Everwanting: To Want You to Want
- I'm You: You are Me and We are You (pt Me and You)
- Drowndeep: Hula
- Matrimony: Maybe You
- Submerge: Til We Become the Sun
- Gravity: Pushing to Pull
2/30
Why is nobody talking about this album hello??? The album cover perfectly sums up how it feels listening to this album. The production layering, which is the highlight of this album, makes you feel like you're drowning with the music in the best way possible. The songs' lenght is pretty long, but they're never dull. Maxwell's vocals are so smooth and relaxing, I wonder how someone can sound like that, he has such an angelic voice. The first half has tracks leaning to ... read more
significantly more consistent project than Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite; lower highs, higher lows
hearing comparisons between this and janet’s “the velvet rope” as well as kelela’s “raven” piqued my intrigue enough to make me quite excited about this album. however, even with my expectations set to such a standard, maxwell still managed to supersede them, delivering neo-soul in its greatest and purest form.
this album is the embodiment of wanting. on tracks such as “drowndeep: hula” and “everwanting: to want you to want”, he exudes ... read more
Contributions By
royalflush, Alejandro González, AndreManfre93, sweertner, OPENblinds, TeBo47, sssssilvaaaaaBecome a Subscriber
Subscriber badge, no ads + more benefits.
Subscriber badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement
Track List
| 1 | Gestation: Mythos 3:11 | 88 |
| 2 | Everwanting: To Want You to Want 7:30 | 96 |
| 3 | I'm You: You Are Me and We Are You (Pt. Me & You) 6:31 | 92 |
| 4 | Luxury: Cococure 5:30 | 96 |
| 5 | Drowndeep: Hula 5:39 | 94 |
| 6 | Matrimony: Maybe You 4:37 | 93 |
| 7 | Arroz con pollo 2:55 | 89 |
| 8 | Know These Things: Shouldn't You 5:14 | 87 |
| 9 | Submerge: Til We Become the Sun 6:24 | 90 |
| 10 | Gravity: Pushing to Pull 6:11 | 94 |
| 11 | Eachhoureachsecondeachminuteeachday: Of My Life 5:51 | 90 |
| 12 | Embrya 3:04 | 83 |
Total Length: 1 hour, 2 minutes
