Customer Reviews

Roots & Echoes

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I've been a fan of UK indie rockers The Coral, since their eponymous debut. "Roots and echoes" is their fourth studio CD (fifth, if you count 2003's "Nightfreaks and the sons of Becker"), and I must say, it's their best CD yet!

Their sound has always been a mix of folk, sixties psychedelia and pop, and this is no different. Every song is brilliant; "Who's gonna find me" and the melodic "Jaqueline" (both bouncy, songs with a Motown feel), "Remember me" (jangly guitars, bouncy beat, and creepy effects), the similar "In the rain", the country tinged trio of "Put the sun back", and the bouncier "Cobwebs" and "Music at night" are the more upbeat songs.

For ballads, we get the aptly titled "Fireflies" which is such a lovely psychedelic sounding ballad. "Not so lonely" is an acoustic, sixties sounding ballad with an aching vocal delivery. Similar is the slightly more upbeat "Rebecca you", and the lovely "She's got a reason".

Great!

This fourth album from the Liverpool septet is their most accomplished yet. It's confident and self-assured and the ramshackle sea-shanty element found on previous albums is gone. It feels like 1967, not 2007. Put The Sun Back is full of nostalgia and frontman James Skelly hits the right notes with his Roy Orbison-like croon on Not So Lonely.
Jacqueline is a super pop tune and Cobwebs is a light-hearted and country-esque. There are darker elements too, on In The Rain, in which James Skelly says he's, "a stranger in this life/haunted by yesterday's desires".
It's a warm, engaging album tinged with just the right amount of roughness.

Original as always. Not a single weak spot on the record. Not the music it self but this album reminds me of how Doves capture their fans.. The first few listens almost leave you wanting and expecting more. But the more you listen to it the better it sounds and the more you appreciate the beauty of their craft. The only negatives are the fact that most of the songs are 3:30 minute songs without much tempo changes... Personally I think it blends together the beginning Coral and the new sound perfectly. Which in turn should invite a new fan base and please the already. I have 4,000 plus songs on my computer and find it very difficult to find a band as unique and identifiable as The Coral in today's hipster/scenester madness music craze. Groups like Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Interpol, et cetera will be around for less than a decade and I think most music fans are finding their stuff to be tired and played out already after only a few years. The Coral will be around for some time churning out timeless music.

"Roots & Echoes" is once again a major shift in mood and direction for The Coral. With every album they tweak and tinker with their sound ebbing from bombastic psychedelic sea shanties to pretty melodic tunes and back again, but always different than before.

"Roots & Echoes" finds the band mostly steering towards melodic ballads often times reminiscent of old country music but always with the production values of neo-psychedelic rock. There aren't too many surprises in terms of interesting tempo changes or distinguishable chord progressions that have made previous efforts so arresting. Most of the songs have a mellow and minimal approach, the productions and song writing reminds me of the e.p. "Nightfreak & The Son of Becker" but with overall better tunes.

That being said, there isn't a bad song in the set and some that I would even call great. The last three songs are the best of the batch. "Rebecca You" with it's mournful melody and lyrics are hauntingly beautiful- this is the most stirring song The Coral have ever produced. "She's Got A Reason" has all the interesting shifts, lyrics and instrumental breaks that one comes to expect from a great Coral song. Finally, "Music At Night", with the pulsating rhythm and swaying harmonies gives a sense of a modern take of the old country band Sons Of The Pioneers mixed with Johnny Cash late 50's output- great stuff.

Other standout songs on the album are "Who's Gonna Find Me" (the first single off the album), "Fireflies", and "In The Rain". Although I like "Who's Gonna Find Me" quite a bit, there's something about it that makes me think it's more of a retread rather than finding something new; but I can't really fault them for that, if that is the case.

"Roots & Echoes" is a solid album but a little boring in comparison to their other albums; overall, there aren't enough fresh creative ideas that have made previous efforts as intriguing. But, I still love it and think it's way more interesting than most of the music being made out there, and you have to respect a band that is constantly testing their boundaries as artists and not following the popular trends of the day, even if the end results aren't always A+ material.

If you enjoyed 'Magic & Medicine' then buy 'Roots & Echoes' without hesitation. There are no holes in this collection of beautiful, thrilling songs that have a slight 60's feel.

Another reviewer has described this album as kind of "country" in feel - possibly. I'm no fan of country music and none of these songs makes me cringe the way that genre can. Rather, they express feeling with a sincerity and, quite frankly, a sweetness of spirit that is rare these days - especially from a bunch of guys.

Lead singer James Skelly is unafraid to travel in veins of almost childlike simplicity in his music and lyrics. Some of the songs are so easy and unforced that they sound as if they are covers of songs that are already well known and loved. As with all great music, the illusion is that creating this collection was like rolling off a log.

The only other recent release, that's come to my attention, that compares in consistency and quality is Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' (although, obviously, the two are different in style). This is without doubt the best record that The Coral have made. It's good to see them embrace their talent wholeheartedly and do away with the wilfully non-commercial work of their last CD.

...that these guys are still only in their mid-20s. Their creativity and competence is almost overwhelming. I only started listening to them a couple of years ago, and couldn't understand the rave reviews of their first albums - that is, until I had gone through them the 3rd or 4th time and realised just how much was going on. This selection of songs would be better then most bands' greatest hits .... singer James Skelly evokes some of the spirit of Ian McCullough, but that is hardly a criticsm. As a 50+ fan, I am happy to report that the future of quality music is safe in the hands of guys like these.

As with most things in pop culture, all the garbage and flavor of the months will always be floating at the top in a vast sea of nothingness. Then, as you dive deeper down funneled by rock, sand, sea life and such, you stumble upon the enigmatic CORAL. Yes, these lads live deep beneath the sea in a place that is refined, genuine and classic. New subtle charms mixed with yesteryear vibes.
You owe it to yourself to have this in your collection

Roots & Echoes is a thrilling, catchy, all-time classic. If you're considering their back catalog: The prior release, Invisible Invasion, is also consistently creative (with kind of a macabre theme). The first three albums have some good moments, but not enough to recommend. I believe The Coral truly became The Coral with Roots & Echoes.

It is easier just to go to my fan-based article to see everything about The Coral - [...]

They define what will be know as a legendary band in 30 years....that's all I can say!

Roots and Echoes, should have at least 2 adult contemporary top ten hits. The whole album is one that you want to listen to completely and not skip any songs. I only have a few albums that I can say that about. If "Rebecca You" doesn't stir emotion, nothing will.