Time and tide waits for no man, woman, or band. It is a whopping 16 years since the Coral broke through with the irresistibly jaunty Dreaming of You, but we still tend to think of them as lovable young Merseyside scamps gatecrashing the mainstream. They're certainly haven't been work shy, as Move Through The Dawn is no less than their ninth studio album, and first since Distance Inbetween in 2016, a work rate that is all more impressive considering they took five years off.
The influence of ELO looms very large on Reaching Out For a Friend and Outside My Window, but in a very pleasant way. Sweet Release is a fine lead single; a deftly produced slick rocker that doesn't reinvent the wheel, but drives it very well. The closing track and second single After The Fair sees them pursue a fingerpicking guitar sound, but more in the mould of former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lyndsey Buckingham than traditional folk music.
The Coral have hit a mid-career high on Move Through The Dawn, and given their prolific work rate, there is no stopping them now. An eagerly anticipated live date in the Academy this November is shaping up to be a corker.
