The Coral - The Invisible Invasion

Genre rock Publisher Deltasonic/Columbia External Links Official Site Columbia Records

As Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, The Futureheads, Maximo Park, and Kaiser Chiefs dominate British guitar rock with their energetic, twitchy, post-punk sounds, The Coral have been steadily moving in the opposite direction. Instead of swiping sounds from 20 years ago, the Hoylake, England group are mining the music of 40 years past, delving into psychedelic rock, folk pop, and British Invasion rock 'n roll. After capturing our attention with their uproariously confident self-titled 2002 debut, with its lively blend of Animals style rock, Captain Beefheart-inspired exercises in quirky blues-based numbers, and the odd sea chanty here and there, it was one of the more unforgettable UK debut records in the last decade. Since then, though, the Scouse lads have headed inland, wisely eschewing the gimmicky nautical themes, opting for a more pastoral, sober sound, looking more and more to early Sixties rock 'n roll for inspiration. It's gotten to the point where, if they released covers of "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" and "You'll Never Walk Alone," it would hardly be a surprise.

Although The Coral's subsequent releases, 2003's Magic and Medicine and the Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker EP, have been inconsistent at best, the young band has proven every so often to have a knack for writing simple, catchy tunes. It's gotten to the point now where they're starting to shape into one of the better UK singles bands since The Charlatans, as "Shadows Fall," "Skeleton Key," "Goodbye," "Don't Think You're the First," and "Pass it On" have all proven. It's refreshing to see a band be so prolific as The Coral have over the past three years, but with release number four, it's about time they regained the form they showed on their first album before people lose interest entirely.

Thankfully, Invisible Invasion does just that, as it's easily their best since the debut. The band continues to put out the same kind of comfortable retro-pop as they did on Magic and Medicine, but not only is it a much more consistent piece of work, it's considerably darker in tone. Opening track "She Sings the Mourning" is chilling, guitarist Lee Southall providing eerie guitar tones that resemble the grim rockabilly of The Cramps, while singer James Skelly sings a harrowing blend of Nick Cave style imagery and tragic undertones that resemble the film The War Zone. "A Warning to the Curious" is so laced with reverb, it sounds like it was recorded in a massive cavern, while "Cripples Crown" bounces at a pace that borders on campy, but it's Skelly's cryptic lyrics that ground the song ("An open door on the 13th floor/Conspiracy on the corridor"). "The Operator" is constructed around a Farfisa organ lick that sounds lifted from a B-movie, and "Arabian Sand" takes on a surreal quality as it swirls sandstorm-like during its climax, as Skelly chants mantra-like, "Can you dance with the lepers in the madman's house?"

Still, for all the album's darkness, the band manage to pull out a pretty little gem or two to lighten the mood, the best of which being the absolutely lovely single "In the Morning." With its gentle acoustic guitars, ebullient tempo, and chiming keyboard hook, it's as perfect for waking up to on a lazy summer day as "Pass it On" was perfect for whistling while walking on a country road, Skelly giving us a brief respite from the otherwise murky tones on the album, singing, "Out of the darkness and into the light," before the clouds start to gather again.

While Magic and Medicine and Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker sounded like an overworked band running out of steam, The Invisible Invasion has The Coral once again bursting with life. A fine return to form, its blend of dark tones, kitschy retro touches, and impeccable pop is enough to convince us that there's plenty of good music in these boys for a while yet.