(Sony)''''??
In 2002, The Coral's self-titled debut ignited Strokes-level hype from the British press. Unlike the Strokes, however, The Coral doesn't look like J. Crew models.
They are simply six scruffy British kids-barely in their 20s-who listen to way too much music.?? However, defining the sound of their second album, , is a pleasantly more complicated task.
The Coral, with their fondness for electric organ tones and '60s psychedelia, among other things, first invoke the Doors, while coming across-rather amazingly-like they dropped more acid than Morrison and company.??
The Coral is certainly the strangest band in U.K. and possibly the U.S. That's a good thing.?? For instance, just when it seems like The Coral sound like the Doors, they sound like Captain Beefheart, then they sound like the Byrds, then they are playing reggae, and when they bring it all around to a blues lick and it seems like there's nowhere else to go, don't be surprised if they throw in some polka or '50s doo-wop or lyrics about pirates.??And that is all in a single song. In short, they really do not sound like anybody else making music today.
Indeed, The Coral sound like they raided the record collection of an eclectic music fanatic and threw all the best albums into a blender.?? ?? And yet, somehow, they eek out terrific melodies.
In addition to the hyper-yet-assured musicianship, The Coral's lead singer, James Skelly, is worth paying attention to. After hearing his impressive howl and his soulful, sometimes fragile tenor, it is easy to believe he is the band's oldest member, but difficult to believe he is only 22.??James Skelly is a name worth remembering-he is already one of the best young rock vocalists today.
While The Coral's debut was impressively bizarre and energetic, it made for sometimes exhausting listening. With , The Coral have simmered down a bit, crafting a quieter, darker, more acoustic and more haunting album.
The Coral's songwriting on is darker and more mature, producing two irresistible singles: \Don't Think You're the First"" and ""Pass it On.""?? But the trade-off of sounding more restrained and polished is that The Coral sound less inspired here, with a few notable exceptions, like the catchy, McCartney-esque ""Liezah.""'''?
In particular, the album's second half often seems to lack the magic of the first.??For example, ""Eskimo Lament,"" a pretty, acoustic hush is ruined by hackneyed lyrics.?? Skelly, whose words are often cryptic, clever and surreal, actually sings ""Rain, rain, go away"" and ""Sugar and spice and all things nice.""??Did he spill whiskey all over his page of real lyrics?
Shortcomings and spottiness aside, Magic and Medicine is an often-beautiful album from one of today's most exciting and promising young bands.??Although this album may not be it, at this rate their masterpiece cannot be too far off.
