The Coral | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Since their debut in the early 2000s, the Coral proved to be one of the most consistent bands in the U.K. retro-rock scene thanks to their knack for crafting sneakily good hooks, the jangling interplay of the guitars, and James Skellys powerful vocals. Their rambunctious sound deftly mixes together elements of 60s garage rock, psychedelic pop, and folk-rock, spicing it with bits of Merseybeat, Motown, vintage blues, and even sea shanties. The bands 2002 self-titled debut album topped the U.K. charts, and even as their sound changed over the years, taking detours to spooky folk on 2004s Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker, stripped-down indie pop on 2005s Portishead-produced The Invisible Invasion, and expansively heavy 70s rock on 2016s Distance Inbetween, they stayed popular and influential. Hailing from Hoylake, a town on the Wirral Peninsula just across the River Mersey from Liverpool, the band was formed in 1996 by school friends vocalist/guitarist James Skelly, guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones, drummer Ian Skelly, and bassist Paul Duffy, and were soon joined by another guitarist, Lee Southall. After a couple years of rehearsing and playing shows, they added keyboardist Nick Power to the lineup. Their vintage sound and mysterious songs piqued the interest of former Shack drummer Alan Willis, who launched the Deltasonic label specifically to release the Corals music, beginning with a 2001 single and a pair of EPs that led up to their breakthrough 2002 self-titled debut LP. The album was an immediate success, reaching number five on the U.K. charts and garnering a Mercury Prize nomination the day after its release. Though the next year was filled with a hectic touring schedule, they were able to quickly write a batch of songs and headed to the studio with producer Ian Broudie, who had worked with one of the bands touchstones, Echo & the Bunnymen. Released in 2003, Magic and Medicine was a focused album, with more cohesive songs and a streamlined sound. It hit the top of the U.K. album charts, and the band expanded the scope of its touring by heading to the U.S., Europe, and Japan. While in the middle of all that, they repaired to a small shed in North Wales with Broudie to record what turned out to be a stopgap before their next album. The Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker mini-album explored darker territory than the previous album, and had a lo-fi and experimental sound in comparison. Their next album took a completely different tack, as the group headed into the studio with Portisheads Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley. Working together, they stripped the bands sound down to the spooky essentials to create a powerfully sparse setting for the bands most impressive songs yet. After the albums release, Ryder-Jones stepped down as a touring member of the band and was replaced by guitarist David McDonnell for the subsequent tour dates that included some with Arctic Monkeys. The band began work on another record, minus Ryder-Jones participation, but abandoned the project before it could be completed. Instead, they welcomed Ryder-Jones back and began work on their fourth album with producers Broudie and Craig Silvey. The resulting folk-rock and sunshine pop-influenced Roots & Echoes was issued in 2007 and reached the Top Ten of the U.K. album charts. Soon after the record came out, Ryder-Jones left the band for good, citing agoraphobia, depression, and nervous anxiety brought on by being in the group as the reasons. Regrouping as a five-piece, the Coral enlisted legendary producer John Leckie (who had worked with everyone from XTC to Radiohead) to work on their sixth album. Arriving in 2010, Butterfly House was the bands most modern-sounding work to date, with Leckie giving their sunny psych-pop sound a little extra studio gloss. Along with the album proper, the quartet also released an acoustic version, simply titled Butterfly House Acoustic, later in the year. Sessions with Leckie for the bands next album were started at Peter Gabriels Real World Studio, and they got about halfway through before they decided to go on hiatus. The bandmembers felt like they were running out of gas creatively and wanted to work on other projects. Ian Skellys Cut from a Star came out quickly in 2012 and James Skellys Love Undercover followed the next year on the brothers own Skeleton Key label. Ian also formed the band Serpent Power with former Zutons member Paul Molloy and released a self-titled album in 2014. That same year, Skeleton Key released the album the Coral had nearly finished in 2006. Recorded on an eight-track tape machine, The Curse of Love had a lo-fi psychedelic folk sound and featured 12 songs that had never before seen the light of day. During the process of getting the release together, Skelly decided he had a batch of Coral songs ready to go and the band, minus Southall, reconvened to start making music again. Inspired by the memory of their mentor Willis, who died in a cycling accident in 2014, and the sounds of Can and Hawkwind, the foursome quickly got some songs together. They were joined in the studio by producer Rich Turvey and guitarist Molloy, who added his Stooges-influenced guitar parts, and then stuck around to join the band officially. Distance Inbetween, which was heavier and more 70s-influenced than anything they had previously done, was their first album not to be released by Deltasonic. It came out in 2018 on Ignition Records instead. After a couple years spent playing shows, running Skeleton Key and Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, and, in James Skellys case, producing the highly regarded indie group Blossoms, the band found time to record its ninth album, 2018s Move Through the Dawn. Working again with Turvey, the band took a step back from the heavy sound of the previous record in favor of something much poppier, inspired by Jeff Lynnes production and the rambling spirit of the Traveling Wilburys. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 12 Title: The Coral Released: 2002-07-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Spanish Main (01:53) 2 I Remember When (03:38) 3 Shadows Fall (03:29) 4 Dreaming of You (02:21) 5 Simon Diamond (02:28) 6 Goodbye (04:02) 7 Waiting for the Heartaches (04:03) 8 Skeleton Key (03:03) 9 Wildfire (02:45) 10 Badman (03:03) 11 Calendars and Clocks / Time Travel (11:56) |
| The Coral : Allmusic album Review : The Corals jocular self-titled debut kicked up quite a flurry of excitement when it washed ashore in the summer of 2002. Many reviewers gave a hearty cry of "Avast Ye Maties" when they discovered the band was from the picturesque seaside village of Hoylake, a deep-water anchorage in the borough of Wirral. Not since the Beatles, or perhaps even Echo & the Bunnymen, has a young band from Englands blustery western coast caused this much commotion. Other critics have focused on their ages; at 21, lead singer/guitarist James Skelly was the oldest when this album was recorded, but the rest of these landlubbers were considerably younger, averaging somewhere closer to 19. The fantastic voyage that is The Coral, however, is the real discovery. The album begins with a two-minute psych-rock sea shanty, "Spanish Main," which bursts forth with a frothy and joyous refrain that sounds inspired by Treasure Island or Disneys Pirates of the Caribbean, perhaps. Along the way, the boys pick their way through somewhat-discarded flotsam and jetsam genres (mostly from the 60s), including 1964-era Merseybeat, horn-driven ska, fuzzed-out acid rock, and Brit-pop psychedelia. The aforementioned critics have fallen all over themselves trying to distill the Corals various influences, name-checking a wide range of West Coast bands -- the Doors, Love, the Beach Boys, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and even the Banana Splits -- and even tossing in a handful of Londoners, like Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and the Action. Others have opted to categorize the Coral as sounding closer, at least in spirit, to the Beta Band, Shack, or "a scouse Primal Scream on a skiffle tip." "Shadows Fall" is where this adventurous tale really finds its sea legs; the Top 30 U.K. single features an eccentric salmagundi of styles and sounds, including barbershop quartet vocals, Madness-style pop-ska, Russian Cossack folk, and a subtle Morricone-esque harmonica. The result is a bit jarring, but theres a fervent originality at work here, despite all of the referencing of the halcyon past. "Dreaming of You" is probably an even better example of what the Coral have to offer, with strong lead vocals and suitably cheeseball organ. "Simon Diamond" is effervescent 1967-style British psych-pop (Nirvana U.K. or Kaleidoscope U.K., take your pick), while the rambunctious "Skeleton Key" blends Zappa-esque guitars, serpentine Middle Eastern melodies, and flavorful horns. In addition to a massive heaping of critical praise, the Coral also managed to connect with an audience who plunked down enough gold doubloons to help this album land in the U.K.s Top Ten charts. The Coral was subsequently nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 12 Title: Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker Released: 2003 Tracks: 11 Duration: 28:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Precious Eyes (02:58) 2 Venom Cable (02:33) 3 I Forgot My Name (02:45) 4 Song of the Corn (03:10) 5 Sorrow or the Song (03:15) 6 Auntie’s Operation (02:23) 7 Why Does the Sun Come Up? (00:38) 8 Grey Harpoon (02:20) 9 Keep Me Company (03:28) 10 Migraine (02:45) 11 Lover’s Paradise (01:44) |
| Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker : Allmusic album Review : Released less than half a year after Magic and Medicine, Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker is another eclectic and accomplished patchwork of tantalizing neo-psychedelia from the prolific lads the Coral. For this go-around, they spent a week recording a jammy bunch of tunes and carousing through a myriad of musical inspirations with studio wiz Ian Broudie manning the knobs. While such a scenario seems like it might lead to a bunch of demo-quality throwaways, these 11 songs are mostly potent and exhilarating. The mood and mannerisms of Magic and Medicine again rule the day, which means another batch of timeless songs brimming with tambourines, vintage keyboards, singsong melodies, and rousing rock passages. If the album has a more experimental tone, its because some of the songs seem to jump forward a number of decades in musical influence. Opener "Precious Eyes" has the undeniable feel of a Super Furry Animals song, with its wobbly guitars, cha-ching drums, and singalong chorus. "I Forgot My Name" owes a debt to the Fall, as shouty megaphone vocals and sonic distortion make for invigorating festivities. "Song of the Corn" blends old-school psychedelic flourishes with new-school Beta Band vibes. Its this mixing of old and new dynamics that makes Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker such a compelling listen. Coming from a band so enamored with and indebted to the 1960s, this is at least a small step into a more accessible sonic pool. This album was added to the U.S. release of Magic and Medicine as a bonus disc, which made for a stunning bargain. Also quite stunning is the quality that goes hand in hand with the quantity of the bands output. With three albums in under three years, the Coral gave a slap to the face of their more creatively passive peers. In an era when so many bands seemed to dread the studio and wait eons between full-length albums, the Coral stormed the studio, stuck to their creative muses, and released an impeccable trio of infectious albums. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 12 Title: Magic and Medicine Released: 2003-07-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In the Forest (02:39) 2 Don’t Think You’re the First (04:04) 3 Liezah (03:31) 4 Talkin’ Gypsy Market Blues (03:07) 5 Secret Kiss (02:56) 6 Milkwood Blues (03:54) 7 Bill McCai (02:37) 8 Eskimo Lament (02:30) 9 Careless Hands (04:14) 10 Pass It On (02:19) 11 All of Our Love (03:06) 12 Confessions of A.D.D.D. (06:20) |
| Magic and Medicine : Allmusic album Review : Mixing equal bits Merseybeat melody, ragged Nuggets energy, and pure rock nostalgia, the Coral create one of the 21st centurys finest odes to 1960s and 1970s garage rock. Not since The Las has a band more convincingly aped an era, and like that album, theres not a cringe-worthy moment in sight. If the lads were accused of being too bombastic and experimental on their debut, here they rein in their influences and just stick with the program of creating rocking tunes. The songwriting, playing, and production are so subtle, one almost imagines that these 12 songs are lost sonic treats from the Animals, Love, or some forgotten band of psych-pop dreamers. While a number of the songs stick out as highlights, particularly the catchy U.K. singles "Dont Think Youre the First" and "Pass It On," a majority of the songs work as growers. While the band has abandoned the rousing loony attitude of its debut, and filtered out any ska influence, jazz, blues, and Spanish guitar motifs keep things varied. Beyond the singles, every track works its own fine magic, but the spooky, chugging "Bill McCai" and the atmospheric ballad "Careless Hands" are particularly noteworthy. The album loses its bearings somewhat after "Pass It On," not because the final two songs are weak, but because they stray from the even tone of the previous ten songs. Remarkably authentic in recovering the vibes of early British rock, Magic and Medicine is a mature, solid throwback. Whether or not the Coral travel these same musical avenues in the future, for now theyve definitely created an album thats a world unto itself, and one thats well worth repeat visits. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 12 Title: The Invisible Invasion Released: 2005-05-23 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:14:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 She Sings the Mourning (03:08) 2 Cripples Crown (03:38) 3 So Long Ago (02:42) 4 The Operator (02:20) 5 A Warning to the Curious (03:56) 6 In the Morning (02:33) 7 Something Inside of Me (02:26) 8 Come Home (04:14) 9 Far From the Crowd (03:39) 10 Leaving Today (03:08) 11 Arabian Sand (04:02) 12 Late Afternoon (03:56) 13 Gina Jones (03:30) 14 Leeslunchboxbyblueleadandthevelcrounderpants (02:56) 1 Pass It On (02:33) 2 Shadows Fall (03:28) 3 Dont Think Youre the First (04:03) 4 Dreaming of You (02:19) 5 A Warning to the Curious (03:50) 6 She Sings the Mourning (03:06) 7 Something Inside of Me (02:21) 8 Arabian Sand (03:45) 9 In the Morning (02:33) |
| The Invisible Invasion : Allmusic album Review : Things are pretty much as you would expect them to be on the Corals fourth album as all the usual pieces are in place: vocalist James Skelly still channels the voice of Ian McCullough, the guitars of Skelly and Bill Ryder-Jones still sparkle and shine, and the band is still inventive and interesting. What is different about The Invisible Invasion is the stripped-down and focused sound courtesy of producers Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley (of Portishead). Thankfully no elements of trip-hop show up; instead, they give the songs some rhythmic focus by getting a tight and live drum sound and scale back the often overly ornate arrangements of the first two albums to mostly just guitars, bass, and drums. If the batch of songs the band came up with were at all dull, this approach might have been deadly (as it proved on the somewhat forgettable Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker). Luckily the songs here are among the best they have written and are quite varied as well, ranging from the bouncily acoustic "So Long Ago" to the moody (with a great chorus) "Cripples Crown," the insistent "The Operator" to the musically lovely, lyrically melancholy "In the Morning." Where the group once seemed intent on cramming every song with everything they could fit, the new focus allows the songs to breathe more, at times even reaching levels of emotional depth that didnt seem in the cards before. "Far from the Crowd" with its quietly galloping rhythms and beautiful vocal harmonies is one example; the achingly sad "Late Afternoon" (which is one of the few songs to prominently feature keyboards) is another. More depth, better production, stellar songs performed with high levels of vigor and commitment -- it adds up to the groups best album to date. Despite a work rate that might burn out a lesser group, the Coral show no signs of going away anytime soon and if they can keep making records this good, lovers of tuneful and intelligent pop music should be very glad. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 12 Title: Roots & Echoes Released: 2007-08-06 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Whos Gonna Find Me (03:27) 2 Remember Me (03:25) 3 Put the Sun Back (03:02) 4 Jacqueline (03:28) 5 Fireflies (03:57) 6 In the Rain (03:06) 7 Not So Lonely (03:45) 8 Cobwebs (03:29) 9 Rebecca You (03:50) 10 Shes Got a Reason (04:26) 11 Music at Night (06:17) |
| Roots & Echoes : Allmusic album Review : Its hard to remember now in retrospect, but in the summer of 2002, the Coral were going to be the saviors of the British indie music scene: their debut album was hyped to the skies, and their terrific lead single "Dreaming of You" was rightly praised as probably the best single to come out of Liverpool since "There She Goes" by the Las. But with the ascension of Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, and the whole neo-Brit-pop scene, the Corals amalgam of 60s freakbeat and 80s post-punk didnt fit in the zeitgeist of the time, and so even though their albums have remained consistently fine, theyve generally been ignored by most folks outside of a devoted cult. Roots & Echoes, though its easily the Corals best album since 2003s Magic and Medicine, isnt going to change that. As the exceedingly old-fashioned cover art suggests, Roots & Echoes takes as its starting point the era immediately preceding the psychedelic explosion, circa 1966, when folk-rock and sunshine pop were melding into a new sound, AM radio-friendly but moving outside of the strict confines of the format. Echoes of cult faves like the Beau Brummels, the Cyrkle, and the first side of Loves Da Capo flitter through these songs, which are filled with ringing guitars and colored with strings, flutes, bongos, and other ear-candy touches. James Skellys sweet-toned vocals are a perfect accompaniment to the melodic sweep of the songs, but if theres a fault to be found, its that theres no single song here as immediately arresting as prior Coral gems like "Dreaming of You" or "In the Morning." The semi-orchestral closer "Music at Night" comes very close, however, sounding like a great lost Lee Hazlewood production for some un-remembered Reprise Records act. The Coral may not be the Next Big Thing anymore, but theyre still making better records than many of the bands that have taken over that title in the intervening five years. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 12 Title: iTunes Festival: London 2007 Released: 2007-08-17 Tracks: 6 Duration: 24:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Whos Gonna Find Me (03:27) 2 Jacqueline (03:34) 3 Shes Got a Reason (05:30) 4 Remember Me (03:33) 5 She Sings the Mourning (04:42) 6 In the Rain (03:23) |
 | Album: 7 of 12 Title: Singles Collection Released: 2008-09-15 Tracks: 33 Duration: 1:39:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dreaming of You (02:21) 2 In the Morning (02:33) 3 Pass It On (02:19) 4 Don’t Think You’re the First (04:04) 5 Jacqueline (03:28) 6 Secret Kiss (02:56) 7 Goodbye (04:03) 8 Shadows Fall (original) (03:14) 9 Liezah (03:31) 10 Whos Gonna Fine Me (03:27) 11 Bill McCai (02:39) 12 Put the Sun Back (03:02) 13 Something Inside of Me (02:26) 14 Being Somebody Else (02:39) 1 When All the Birds Have Flown (04:22) 2 The Golden Bough (02:37) 3 Michaels Song (02:51) 4 Cry of the City (03:21) 5 Everybodys Talking at Me (02:43) 6 Far From the Crowd (live) (03:33) 7 Shes Got a Reason (live) (04:30) 8 Return Her to Me (02:37) 9 Monkey to the Moon (02:45) 10 It Was Nothing (02:54) 11 Cobwebs (03:20) 12 Simon Diamond (02:30) 13 Shadows Fall (instrumental) (02:57) 14 Calendars and Clocks (demo) (03:45) 15 Seagulls (01:47) 16 Dreaming of You (demo) (01:52) 17 Its in Your Hands (03:50) 18 Reward (live) (02:58) 19 Bye Bye Love (live) (01:59) |
| Singles Collection : Allmusic album Review : U.K.-based, vaguely psychedelic and always atmospheric indie rock outfit the Coral hit the bulls eye on their Mercury nominated, full-length 2002 eponymous debut (they even got press across the pond), and through four more albums, all of which were at the very least decent, they earned themselves a respectable place in post-Brit-pop infamy. The Coral, like the Kaiser Chiefs, have always been more of a singles band, which makes the appropriately titled Singles Collection such a treat. The jangly 60s-inspired pop nuggets that graced the groups debut ("Dreaming of You," "Goodbye") still pack the most punch, but by cherry-picking tracks from later releases like Magic and Medicine ("Dont Think Youre the First"), Invisible Invasion ("In the Morning"), and Roots & Echoes ("Put the Sun Back"), as well as including a whole second disc of (admittedly hit or miss) singles and live tracks, theyve managed to craft their most enjoyable release yet. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 12 Title: Butterfly House Released: 2010-07-12 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:01:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 More Than a Lover (03:07) 2 Roving Jewel (03:16) 3 Walking in the Winter (03:08) 4 Sandhills (03:40) 5 Butterfly House (03:21) 6 Green Is the Colour (03:22) 7 Falling All Around You (03:24) 8 Two Faces (02:37) 9 She’s Comin Around (03:25) 10 1000 Years (02:51) 11 Coney Island (03:23) 12 North Parade (06:01) 1 Into the Sun (03:31) 2 Coming Through the Rye (03:24) 3 Dream in August (04:10) 4 Another Way (03:40) 5 Circles (05:10) |
| Butterfly House : Allmusic album Review : Five albums into their career -- or six, depending on whether or not you count the limited-edition Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker, which the band apparently doesnt -- the Coral find themselves as close as theyve ever come to the "mainstream" with Butterfly House. The U.K. psych revivalists first two albums are winningly quirky outings full of gloriously skewed pop sensibilities, but from 2005s The Invisible Invasion onward, the band has moved toward an increasingly more straightforward approach. It seems likely that the Coral would have continued in that direction even if guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones hadnt departed before the making of Butterfly House, but his exit may have pushed the band even further from the willful weirdness of its past. The trademark ‘60s influences are still present in no uncertain terms, but instead of drawing inspiration from the druggy, trippy side of that eras sounds, Butterfly House hones in on a more pop-savvy vibe, coming out closer to, say, the Association than Pink Floyd. In the process, the lads have made their most hook-laden and, yes, accessible album to date, full of infectious melodies and indelible riffs. Some champions of the bands early albums may consider this to be some kind of betrayal, but in fact its simply part of an inevitable maturation process, and considering the results, a very welcome one indeed. And while the Corals music will probably always have a strong connection to the past, Butterfly House turns out to be the bands most contemporary-sounding album to date, depending as it does on timeless pop values more than psychedelic spelunking. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 12 Title: The Best Of Released: 2010-08-30 Tracks: 16 Duration: 51:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Dreaming of You (02:22) 2 In the Morning (02:34) 3 Pass It On (02:20) 4 Something Inside of Me (02:27) 5 Simon Diamond (02:27) 6 Don’t Think You’re the First (04:04) 7 Skeleton Key (03:01) 8 Milkwood Blues (03:55) 9 She Sings the Mourning (03:07) 10 All of Our Love (03:06) 11 The Operator (02:21) 12 Come Home (04:13) 13 Arabian Sand (04:02) 14 Late Afternoon (03:54) 15 Fireflies (03:56) 16 Remember Me (03:28) |
 | Album: 10 of 12 Title: The Curse of Love Released: 2014-10-24 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Curse of Love, Part 1 (03:16) 2 Wrapped in Blue (03:09) 3 You Closed the Door (03:53) 4 The Second Self (02:33) 5 View From the Mirror (03:30) 6 The Watcher in the Distance (04:51) 7 Gently (03:12) 8 Willow Song (03:23) 9 The Golden Bough (03:30) 10 The Game (03:11) 11 Nine Times the Colour Red (02:52) 12 The Curse of Love, Part 2 (02:50) |
| The Curse of Love : Allmusic album Review : After recording their 2006 album The Invisible Invasion with Portisheads Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley at the helm, the Coral retreated to their home studio and an eight-track recorder to work on a follow-up. After crafting a simple and direct album that still stands as their best work, the Coral were looking to do something a little spookier and more melancholic. They certainly did that with The Curse of Love, but thanks to fears that the record company wouldnt know what to do with it, plus the fact that guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones missed half the sessions, they decided to shelve the album and move ahead in a more traditional fashion. To that end, the next album they released, 2007s Roots & Echoes, was a much brighter, more Coral-sounding album. After some prodding from Barrow, and partially due to the band not having anything new to release thanks to another set of shelved sessions, The Curse of Love finally saw the light of day in 2014. Hearing it at some remove, its hard to see why the band decided to put the album back on the shelf. It works perfectly as a follow-up to The Invisible Invasion, further stripping down their sound to the bare essentials and really allowing the songs to breath. The arrangements are wonderfully done, with a wide range of guitar sounds and tones, nice little sonic touches filling in the spaces, and James Skellys always impressive vocals sitting firmly in the center, right where they should be. The album may have struck a more somber tone than the record company may have wanted, and apart from the sticky uptempo track "The Golden Bough," there are no radio-ready hits among the batch of moody, understated ballads and cinematic instrumentals, but as an artistic achievement, it stands as the equal to anything else they did up to that point. Or after, for that matter. The album represents a path not taken, though, and thats kind of a bummer because even though the albums that came after are fine slices of bright psych pop, the group really did a fine job of crafting something low-key and gloomy here. Putting that sliver of melancholy aside, however, anyone who followed the Coral, and anyone who likes autumnal psych, will be glad they finally let this record out of the vault. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 12 Title: Distance Inbetween Released: 2016-03-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Connector (04:13) 2 White Bird (03:30) 3 Chasing the Tail of a Dream (03:44) 4 Distance Inbetween (04:19) 5 Million Eyes (05:25) 6 Miss Fortune (03:32) 7 Beyond the Sun (04:00) 8 Its You (03:28) 9 Holy Revelation (03:10) 10 She Runs the River (03:16) 11 Fear Machine (04:00) 12 End Credits (01:51) |
| Distance Inbetween : Allmusic album Review : After half a decade spent working on solo projects that usually involved all the bandmembers anyway, the Coral regrouped to record their eighth album, Distance Inbetween. With new guitarist Paul Molloy of the Zutons on board, the band aimed for a more organic, heavier sound than past efforts. To that end, they recorded live in the studio, mostly using first takes and adding minimal overdubs. Theyve given their spooky brand of neo-psychedelia a slight overhaul, adding in some 70s influences and stepping back from the slick, almost poppy sound of their previous album, Butterfly House. The result is their heaviest record yet, with Molloy and James Skelly indulging in some maxed-out guitar duals and the rest of the band playing it simple and tough. Half the album is dedicated to the kind of sneaky-good psych-pop tunes the Coral have been cranking out for years; the easy-rolling "Miss Fortune" and melancholy charmer "Its You" have the kind of relaxed, very melodic appeal that their best work does. The latter track features their stacked and finely burnished backing vocals, something that the band isnt really known for, but something that this album really focuses on to its benefit. The rest of the album delves into moody, atmospheric, almost folky psych that sounds like it was made out of wood smoke and memories. This is also something the band has always been good at, and songs like "Beyond the Sun" and "She Runs the River" (which again shows off their beautiful, almost CSN&Y strong vocal harmonies) dont suffer at all from the lack of studio trickery; in fact, they may benefit from the clarity and immediacy. The entire record has a simple, direct feel that is new for the Coral; only their The Invisible Invasion had a sound this good. Distance Inbetween isnt quite on par with that album (an underappreciated hidden masterpiece of modern spooky psych), but its not far behind. Unlike a lot of bands that seem to reunite just to cash in or repeat the past, the Coral came back with a renewed focus and a new sound. Thats impressive in itself, and resulted in one of the bands best albums to date. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 12 Title: Move Through the Dawn Released: 2018-08-10 Tracks: 11 Duration: 34:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Eyes Like Pearls (02:46) 2 Reaching Out for a Friend (02:45) 3 Sweet Release (02:50) 4 She’s a Runaway (03:27) 5 Strangers in the Hollow (02:53) 6 Love or Solution (03:23) 7 Eyes of the Moon (02:47) 8 Undercover of the Night (03:03) 9 Outside My Window (02:44) 10 Stormbreaker (04:41) 11 After the Fair (02:51) |