Roots & Echoes

Thorny path to indie mainstream

Despite that fact that The Coral has always been deriving inspiration from the rock music of 70’s it is almost impossible to blame them in plagiarism. The inner views of this band were substantive enough to convert someone else’s ideas into something of their own and even introduce some novelty into modern rock. When The Coral released their self-titled first album in 2002 many people took it as a variant of going out of Britpop sound trap. Nobody actually ascribed them to saviors of rock music but half-psychedelic ideas of The Coral still managed to influence a thing that is known as a British indie rock nowadays. At least everybody’s favorites Arctic Monkeys regularly mention The Coral as one of their main influences. Nevertheless, regardless good reaction that their albums used to produce The Coral failed to take their place among mainstream bands and still yet to achieve big success. Their name is well-known but for some reason the band always stays somewhere in the second echelon. And honestly speaking their new album Roots And Echoes will hardly help them to change this situation.

The Coral sound sensible

Every band has its own trajectory of development and sometimes it is pretty hard to foresee how it will bend next time. Being the fifth album Roots And Echoes introduces listeners with The Coral in their relaxed and sensitive state. The band decided to get away from their trademark eccentricities and to release something more universal and accessible. And actually this is quite understandable, if you have already had a chance to receive evidence that your formula has potential but can’t bring you that result you strive for than why not trying another approach. It is hard to say that The Coral changed their sounding a lot but they definitely became more sensible. The band watered down their weirdness and entered the territory of ballads and gentle melodies. Perhaps, this is not the best news for their old fans but it seems like this approach can attract new listeners. The more so because The Coral sound quite recognizable, that is they kept most of their trademark hooks. The main difference with their previous works is that these hooks are represented in a very soft sonic outfit.

The Coral draw new outlooks

The album opens with a pretty attractive single Who’s Gonna Find Me – a solid blues rock stomper with The Coral’s trademark multi layered vocals and slightly psychedelic atmosphere. Most likely those who know the band by their debut album will find this track to be a good reminiscent of their early works. Remember Me evokes all possible associations with modern indie scene, this track is also pretty lively so the band’s new appearance is still not that evident. Probably the most exemplifying track of the album is Put The Sun Back – this is a cute, beautiful rock ballad and here The Coral still remain themselves and don’t try to play something completely different from their former works. The main problem of Roots And Echoes is that some of the tracks sound so soft that even slightest familiar notes of The Coral get lost within them. You may check out Not So Lonely or Cobwebs – these songs differ from the rest of material so drastically because of the over positive atmosphere they have. Overall, Roots And Echoes is a pretty ambiguous album. It has both mistakes and evident advantages. One thing is clear – this album is a turning point in the band’s career. It is hard to say that the musicians go through this phase of self transformation easily but those outlooks that this album draws look no worse and sometimes even better the band’s former attempts.