The Coral is a band by two guys who are into retro music. They are also into adapting it to the modern, indie music. This time, they have decided to exclude everything that is modern in the attempt to create an album that would be highly successful If it was released in the 70s.
The story about upsides and downfalls of The Coral is well known. They have eradicated themselves with hyperproduction. Over the years, the interval between two records became wider and each member took his time to work on his solo projects. What often happens when a band goes on hiatus is that they come back with something substantial, and that is the case with Distance Inbetween.
The fledgling of rock music is what inspires The Coral the most, especially the psychedelic part of it. Today, with their new effort, they showed that they have matured enough to create an album that is a perfect manifestation of its influences. They have added psychedelic-progressive sounds that were used by giants such as The Doors and Pink Floyd.
Songs are more complex and profound, so it is difficult to find something that would get under your skin right away. Still, hermetic forms bring out the playfulness in the tempo and the melody. I highly recommend you to get this album on vinyl; it will complete the whole retro impression.
The opening track Connector sets the bar high. They manage to keep the things up at the same level until the end of Distance Inbetween. You can feel the obscure atmosphere combined with pristine lyrical solutions imprinting in your hypothalamus. One could say that they are combining what is not usually combined nowadays.
White Bird is a dreamy, seductive psychedelic track, while Chasing the Tail of a Dream proves how much The Coral have grown. Now they are kicking drums and producing the vibe of a horror movie. The title track is one of the downtempo moments, suffused with Britpop. As the album goes on, everything falls into its right place. Songs like Million Eyes and Miss Fortune would be massive hits If they were released after Dreamin Of You and Don’t Think You’re The First.
If you are looking for an album that will remind you how it was better in the 70s, this is the one.
