The Coral

Butterfly House Deltasonic ****

Butterfly HouseDeltasonic ****

In a way, The Coral are true musical survivors. They've outlived (or at least surpassed) many of their peers from the early noughties Liverpudlian scene, and even after losing a key member (guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones) continue to make music of a consistent quality. Their fifth album crooks yet another gentle arc, this time softly colliding with the sounds of both Echo and the Bunnymen and harmony-heavy 1970s bands such as Love and CSNY. Perhaps swapping long-time producer Ian Broudie for a veteran such as John Leckie has lent their new material a keener edge, but when the songs are as good as the gorgeous Walking in the Winter, the creepy Coney Islandand the balmy Two Faces,the finer points are trivialities. A jolting reminder of why The Coral are a band that really should never be overlooked or forgotten.

See thecoral.co.uk

Download tracks: Walking in the Winter, Two Faces

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy is a freelance journalist and broadcaster. She writes about music and the arts for The Irish Times