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Much has changed since the Coral burst on the British music scene, telling tales of Spanish Mains and men that turned into plants. Not to mention a video featuring the worst bear costume ever. Although the Liverpool band's debut came out a mere five years ago, they've since crammed in an awful lot, with a further two albums, one mini album and several tours, all seemingly one after the other. So the quietness following the 'Invisible Invasion' in 2005 was perhaps surprising. Although, as anyone who saw the band perform around that time knows, there was a disturbing lethargy to their performances then that did not bode well.
Two years on, and the near departure of guitarist Bill Ryder Jones having been overcome, the six-piece are back. Yet while their initial two efforts in particular bubbled with a sense of adventure and exploration, this new offering is a more laid back record, with an almost pastoral feel running through it. Opening track ‘Who's Gonna Find Me’ is typical indie pop, the sort of thing dozens of bands strive for but the Coral can effortlessly pull off in their sleep. ‘Remember Me’ is a more subtle and beguiling effort, letting James Skelly's cracked voice be the centre piece of a slow moving, twangy guitar-laden gem, Skelly telling a simple tale of hoping that “I‘d see her once again.”
There are several other highlights dotted throughout the course of the album, with the mystical, swirling 'Fireflies' showing the Coral at their best, marrying a strong pop melody to some surf style guitar with a dash of world music experimentalism thrown in too. It shows what the Coral are strongest at, always able to wrongfoot you and throw something a bit different into the mix. But they're also adept at producing charming and wistful pop, as on the bright and breezy melody of 'Cobwebs' with Skelly pondering that “I‘m lost inside the cobwebs of my mind.” It may lack the off the wall bonkers style of earlier Coral but it’s a triumph.
If only that were true for the rest of the record. Too often the band go for the straightforward instead of throwing caution to the wind and Skelly's songwriting is now nestled among the more traditional, instead of the eccentric. Although this does lead to a more unified feel on 'Roots And Echoes', it also means a more ponderous pace is present. 'Put The Sun Back' and 'Jacqueline' are 60s heavy retro numbers, that possess all the excitement of a particularly slow episode of Heartbeat. Actually, they could fit into that show's soundtrack such is their meandering speed. Although the delirious psychedelia of 'She's Got A Reason' goes by quickly, it does leave you with a nagging feeling that this is merely the obligatory "track that can expanded into a jam live" that the Coral always include. They've done it before and done it better.
Luckily 'Music At Night' is a strong conclusion, a folk and strings heavy lament that is both sweet and stirring. It ensures 'Roots And Echoes' ends on a touch of class and offers a reminder that the Coral are still one of Britain’s finest bands. However, while 'Roots And Echoes' is a solid collection of songs, it simply doesn't have that extra spark the Coral's earlier work had, making for a frustrating listen, and one that indicates that as the Coral mature they may be losing some of the sheer fun that made them such a pleasure.
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