Band : The Coral
Album title : Butterfly House
Label : Deltasonic Records
Distributor : Cooperative Music - V2
Release date : 12/07/2010
Release : CD

Darn, I almost couldn't believe it had been over 5 years since my last check-up with this Hoylake, Merceyside based band...but it wàs since 2005's The Invisible Invasion (review posted 15/07/2005) that I came across this British band! Unbeknownst to me, they meanwhile released a new studio album (2007's Roots & Echoes, which made it to #8 in the UK Album, and to #33 in the Irish charts – didn't do as well as The Invisible Invasion then, which made #3 and #16 respectively...in spite of a successful tour with Arctic Monkeys, and the band's appearance at the BBC Electric Proms), and a 2008 3LP/ 2CD compilation titled The Singles Collection (which also contained a couple of rarities and new songs). On a less bright note, the band saw the departure of guitarist/ trumpetist/ co-founder Bill Ryder-Jones in early 2008, leaving the The Coral line-up to a 5-piece.

The new album, produced by John Leckie (previously worked with The Stone Roses and Radiohead...and didn't he also do the first Rodrigo & Gabriela album?), debuted at #18 in the UK Albums charts, and sees The Coral continue their odd hybrid of old-fashioned Country, '60s-styled Psychedelica & Folk, and modern Rock influences for a total of 12 tracks which demand the listener's attention. Although outwardly simple, there is always that nice underlaying complexity which made me a fan of the band to begin with. As per usual, there's also nice vocal harmonies...constituting the icing on the cake, so to say. For a preview of the new album's material, I ought to tell you that when I last checked, there was only the album's title track posted at the band's MySpace page (so you may have to look up the album's page at some of the usual on-line stores – say Amazon.com, for instance – to get samples of the rest of the songs), but if this is your acquaintance to the band, the older material posted is actually very representative!

In all honesty, when I first listened to the album I was somehow let down a bit...but that probably had more to d with the series of truly outstanding albums (3 nominations to my year-lists in a row) of the more energetic type I'd come across...and additional sessions only confirmed my original feelings about the band! Yep...more year-list material, I'm afraid, although in a different category altogether, right?!

98/100

Tony.