The Coral - 'The Coral' (Deltasonic)
4/5
By: Matt Tomiak
A 19th Century, Spanish-tinged Super Furry Animals? An acid-fried Echo and the Bunnymen? Gomez after being attacked by an army of poisonous Mexican spiders?
Attempting to define youthful Merseyside sextet The Coral is as difficult as it is futile. Suffice to say, their debut LP is as disconcerting and compelling a trip to a vintage Victorian Freak Show: yet you can't help but be fascinated by its bizarre allure throughout.
Of the more welcoming material, previous two singles 'Goodbye' and 'Skeleton Key' are definite highlights, as is the eerily haunting fairground music of the Gorky's Zygotic Mynci-tinged 'Simon Diamond'. Classically, however, there are pop songs herein worthy of considerable and righteous merit - just think of such melodic offerings as 'Dreaming Of You' - with The Coral's fusing of the early-80s' ska/blue-beat scene and its finest moments into concise, coherent vignettes - along with a 60s pop-sensibility that saw the group's fellow Scouse forefathers soaring to the tops of charts - making for the most enchanting, creative sound you'll hear for at least the next five years. And, with the grandiose choruses of 'Waiting For The Heartaches' and the closing 'Calendars & Clocks', such an accomplished batch of bright, snappy tunes could form the soundtrack for many teens' precious and prickly summers in 2002.
All this, along with weird horror-film organs, lyrics about viewing the sea freeze and the Spanish Main, and with sudden, frenzied outbursts in the middle of songs, means that you really can't do without this band. One of the year's truly, indisputably awesome LPs.
Artists in this article: The Coral
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