After two years hidden away, spooked by a period of selfloathing and aimlessness while touring 2005’s Invisible Invasion (poor loves – the oldest member is still only 27!) The Coral return with their fifth album. Recorded at Noel Gallagher’s personal, doubtless valve amp, studio, after the band were coaxed back form semihibernation by him and, among others, Arctic Monkeys, Roots & Echoes is a drab collection indeed, as desperate for a chorus as is possibly imaginable.
The actual sound is nigh-on beautiful. Put The Sun Back glows with its molten bass trickles and crafted structure. Until, that is, you realise that the comfortable verse is as good as it’s going to get. The catchy choruses that seemed effortless on earlier hits such as Pass It On or In The Morning are nowhere in earshot. Instead, James Skelly idles his way through the likes of Jacqueline and Rebecca You, pleasant but pointless noodles that put you in mind of Gerry & The Pacemakers instead of The Sonics.
Only the closer, Music At Night, messes with the template slightly, adding strings at its serene end, but on the whole this washes by. A pity, as many acts currently claiming to be influenced by these one-time Wirral wonders now do it so much better.
