Looking at them now sitting in the shadows of The Zutons, it's easy to forget what an impact they made when they unleashed the beast that is Skeleton Key. Now, with In The Morning becoming an anthem for the Whiley and Moyles set, it seems the Coral are back to claim their crown back....or are they? Tonight, The Coral deliver what we've always come to expect, hence doing the equivalent of a double bluff. She Sings The Mourning is built around a insistent backbeat and a minimal guitar riff, and is very much the sea-shanty's we've come to expect from our scouse brothers. Don't Think You're The First raises the bar before dropping slightly for another newie in the form of So Long Ago. An acoustic strumathon, it's one of the Coral’s most simplistic straightforward songs and while it's pleasant, you wish they hadn't sawed the edges off.
 | | The Coral (pic: Karen McBride) |
The whole show is this constant tug of war between the eclecticism of the earlier tracks and the more straightforward pop of the new album. That comeback single, In The Morning, is infectious for all the wrong reasons and while we love it now, 2 months down the line murders will be committed if we have to listen to it again. Still it's better than The Operator, which does a complete opposite and has no recognizable tune whatsoever and drones along with the sound of Jason Pierce raiding the wrong drugs cabinet. With some old classics to fall back on The Coral just about rescue proceedings from passing by as a bad mistake, but with a mixed bag of new material, it's hard to imagine where next for the Coral. What we loved about them was their ability to surprise and draw influences other bands were too limited to consider. While the lack of atmosphere may be down to the fans being unfamiliar with the new album, tonight's show was far removed from the 20 minute jam they did live on Radio 1's One Big Sunday at Heaton Park or the explosive Manchester Apollo show a couple of years back. | 
