It is safe to presume that it may have been a long journey for The Coral. Not only have they had to carry the undeniably hard stigma of being a guitar band from Liverpool but the public seem to have warmed to them less than they have done towards similar groups who emerged at the time of the great indie revival. When Coldplay became heralded by the press and public alike as the new face of British indie it seems as if The Coral were happy enough to remain plying their trade without being on the receiving end of any such accolade.
With the release of their singles collection there is more than enough quality here to wonder whether, in a different world, Coldplay and Keane could have been facing an uphill task to keep up with awards and praise cast onto The Coral despite, least we forget, their 2002 debut being Mercury Music Prize nominated a day after their eponymous first album was released.
Here there remain obvious signs of the bands considerable collective talent. Not least within their lead singer, James Skelly, and his ability to keep realism and honesty at the forefront of his lyricism. It is because of this that underlying themes throughout the album remain simplistically witty as well as naively charming.
Five albums down and the chance to compile their highlights obviously seemed too good an opportunity to turn down and it is through this decision that they may find their biggest audience yet. Singles wise The Coral have always been reliable at producing their unique blend of pop/indie/skiffle to a high level but where standalone albums may have meandered off on latter tracks the singles collection remains consistent.
Possibly their best known and best loved track 'Dreaming Of You' takes pride of place to kick start the collection and through 'In The Morning', 'Pass It On' and especially on 'Who's Gonna Find Me' the album keeps your brain interested as well as remaining pleasing to the ears. An extra disc of rarities and a hand full of live tracks are enough to keep the die-hard fans happy and may well prove to be a teasing addition to temp any out there who remain on the fence over their opinions of the band.
The Coral no doubt produce great singles and this compilation is all smiles. If their other albums could have been this good in their entirety then it's a possibility a wider scope of fans may have been achieved. The Ian Broudie produced early songs go the furthest to highlight a band at their original and best.
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