The Coral is a UK band that has been with us for a long while. Unlike many of their UK counterparts that were birthed around the same time, The Coral has held it together for over two decades. Even better, they’ve given their fans nine studio albums spread out over those two decades. Their eponymous debut issued in 2002; their last, Move Through The Dawn, dropped in 2018. Their US presence is not as good as the band would hope, with only their debut album generating some excitement in the US market. But their Euro acceptance is well established with all of their studio efforts charting over a range of Euro markets that include the UK, Japan, France, and Belgium. For the life of me, I personally do not get the low US interest for The Coral. But that has plagued many a UK band in the past, even as far back as the ’60s and ’70s.
On April 30, The Coral will release their 10th album, Coral Island. This new set will feature 2 albums filled with 24 new songs from the band. CD1/LP1 are titled as Part One, while CD2/LP2 are titled as Part Two. Developed prior to the pandemic, the album shaped into a 2-parter because the concept used allowed for further exploration of its Coral Island theme. Incorporated into the album are narrative parts voiced by a member’s grandfather. to cohesively tie the songs and the album together.
Coral Island currently has three songs in release as fore-running singles (hear below). Coral Island will release as 2CD, DD, 2LP (standard black, and a limited edition red vinyl, both pressed onto 180g-weight vinyl. A double Cassette version is also in production. The 2CD set provides a booklet and an A4 print card. The 2LP sets will include a 12″ print. There are exclusive all-inclusive bundles offered for the collector.
Coral Island – The Coral
CD1/LP1
01 Part 1 – Welcome To Coral Island
02 Lover Undiscovered
03 Change Your Mind
04 Mist On The River
05 Pavilions Of The Mind
06 Vacancy
07 My Best Friend
08 Arcade Hallucinations
09 The Game She Plays
10 Autumn Has Come
11 The End Of The Pier
CD2/LP2
12 Part 2 – The Ghost Of Coral Island
13 Golden Age
14 Faceless Angel
15 The Great Lafayette
16 Strange Illusions
17 Summertime
18 Telepathic Waltz
19 Old Photographs
20 Watch You Disappear
21 Late Nights At The Borders
22 Land Of The Lost
23 The Calico Girl
24 The Last Entertainer