Embarrassment, The

Embarrassment, The

Death Travels West

Last Laugh

***1983’s Death Travels West finds The Embarrassment as anthemic, angular, and inscrutable as they ever were, with a concept record in the loosest sense of the word. The gangly, jangly Wichita four-piece pack up their harmonies and head west, riding into the sunset and on to Saturn’s rings. Lyrical density meets Manifest Destiny with a chugging rush of guitars that'll send you pogo-ing across the American landscape. It’s a catchy, smart and ambitious effort from these legendary progenitors of indie rock... err, “Blister Pop”. Third in a series of reissues on Last Laugh Records, Death Travels West is available on vinyl again after almost 40 years, and for the first time on Cassette.

Embarrassment, The

The Embarrassment EP

Last Laugh

***Before they broke up in 1983, this quartet from Wichita, Kansas rocked furiously, with less brittle/more melodious guitar than the Scottish new wave pop bands Orange Juice and Josef K to whom the Embos were sometimes compared. While John Nichols’ vocals weren’t incredible (Bill Goffrier’s guitar work nearly was), the Embarrassment did convey a promising array of nuances—from wistfulness to sarcasm—and an inquisitive, adventurous way with arrangements. The lyrics vary in quality, but “Don’t Choose the Wrong Song” and “Elizabeth Montgomery’s Face” show budding verbal pithiness; “Wellsville” has a laconic melodic strength. Best of all, most of the debut EP’s five songs grow on you with each listen.