The Coral - Move Through the Dawn

Coupled with a love for vintage 80’s production, The Coral go all in on the classic “Jeff Lynne” sound with their new album Move Through the Dawn. The opening moments of “Eyes Like Pearls” shine with slick production and a guitar pop sheen that sounds far off from anything in 2018. Only the album's clarity and diversity betray its relatively young age, coming from a band that started in the late 90's. While other bands have had success with this resurgence of style in recent years (check: Dan Auerbach's "Shine on Me"), The Coral is the first I have heard to not only replicate it at album length but also experiment with the sound and utilize it to suit the band's strengths. Even a quick surfing of this already short 34-minute set finds the results very satisfying throughout.

Notably, The Coral's apt songwriting and arrangement abilities distinguish them from not only contemporary artists but even the source band, the Traveling Wilburys (which frankly sounds a little dated at this point). While this will never be as popular as the early Wilburys songs, one has to admire that the album and band work so organically despite this brand new shift from a much darker sound on Distance Inbetween (2016), the band's first post-hiatus album. The marriage of accessibility and humanity on Move Through the Dawn creates wide-stream appeal and sound while still feeling like your just watching a band play at the local mid-level venue. While certain songs have the frontman/guitarist+backing band sound on occasion, the band plays so well together that their interactions are almost indistinguishable.

The aforementioned first song initially bears a striking resemblance to the classic "Handle with Care", but with a much tighter and more driving sound. The mix is so great that you hardly even notice the background and harmony vocals upon first listen; it just sounds like another piece of the song's totality. The vocals seem forefront throughout without injecting unnecessary ego into the lead singer. One of his most wonderful performances is in "Strangers in the Hollow", equally as transcendent lyrically as it is vocally. Unique characteristics abound throughout each track - "Stormbreaker" even sounds like it may have been culled from Distance Inbetween despite fitting perfectly into the album's tight mold. With each song short and sweet, it's not hard to consider it one of the most mellifluous releases of the year. 

The best pop/rock bands are the ones that take advantage of their experience and their youth at the same time. The band is far from new and have several albums under their belt already; they know the best approach here is a balance of what is fashionable and what they know has worked in the past. Obviously in the rock scene nowadays, drawing from the past is always a good bet. But their sincerity and good songs are still at the heart of the group. Forget the bands like Greta Van Fleet and Tyler Bryant that just want to become their idols - it's bands like The Coral that keep the sounds of their idols new and fresh, and that ability deserves merit on its own.