The Coral, from The Wirral, Merseyside have been releasing quality albums since 2002. This is their 7th album of newly recorded material and the first since 2010’s Butterfly House. The first four were all Top 10 in the UK. This one reached no.13 on release week. But has the wait been worth it?
Distance Inbetween covers familiar Coral territory, melodic psych indie pop with a nod to classic 60’s beat group sound. The members of the band have been keeping themselves busy with solo albums and side project releases, often helping each other out. There’s no ring rust here, but also little that really sticks in the memory. Though it is very light on filler, it’s also light on truly memorable tracks. Opener Connector perhaps comes the closest; tight and with a catchy hook ‘I’m the connector / You’re the receiver / You’re the projector / I’m the believer’. There’s an Eastern tinge over a simple beat. I’m not sure what it’s about but the feel is quite foreboding and it promises well for the rest of the album.
Distance Inbetween
White Bird continues the feel, as crawling paranoia rings through this Byrdsian pop song a white bird (perhaps a dove, the traditional symbol of peace) falls from the sky. Birds and spirits in flight appear in Chasing The Tail of a Dream. The feel of the album is quite political, and symbolism and secrets dominate the scenery, the paranoia of modern times and fear of terrorist attacks inform this music hugely. I’m reminded a bit of The The’s Armageddon Days Are Here (Again) for some reason.
The title track eases on the feel musically. Lyrically however, though oblique, there is no let-up; ‘I will come to your door / I will crawl through the latches’ menaces the main hook. Million Eyes kicks in with a Stones riff, but it’s the most ordinary song so far. Miss Fortune sings of fate as a woman, but the story is a by now a familiar one of death and bad times, all draped over one of the lightest poppy songs The Coral have ever laid down. It reminds me of fellow Liverpudlians Echo and the Bunnymen with its stabbing guitars and vague imagery. In a good way.
Beyond The Sun is a percussive drum driven reproach of blind faith. Again it’s good, as are most of these songs but by now I’m beginning to wonder how often this album will draw me in. This is my 5th listen now, and to be fair a decent home hi-fi brings it more alive than my car stereo or iPod (yes, I still have one of those!). It’s You brings a more quasi-eastern feel and is a welcome album highlight, still fraught with a buzzing, knowing tug at the heartstrings and clawing into personal doubt, though it could possibly be a more personal based song. Holy Revelation lyrically offers more hope than many of the songs here, the dove is returning home and experiencing sweet sensations. The musically sweet though lyrically bleak She Runs the River provides a late album interlude to the panic though only offering resignation in its place. Fear Machine is another highlight, a fist of defiance at the modern misery, a punchy hypnotic final song proper on the album. End Credits brings proceedings to a close, a closing melody as if played on a distant, distorted by time, transistor radio. It seals the fear and darkness that permeates this album, a record aided by punch and drive and swirling eastern mysticism.
There may not be many ‘pop’ hits as such, but as an album this does work as a whole in a way that some Coral albums simply don’t. Maybe not an easy listen, but a rewarding one that I do hope draws me back in. Time will tell.
Author: Ian, Romford store
