The Invisible Invasion suggests something is rotten in the world of The Coral. Not quality-wise: this collection of vintage scouseadelica, spooked Mariachi stomp and creaking, dub-inflected garage clatter is at least as proficient and ideas-packed as their 2002 debut, and a damn sight better than the stripped-down, somewhat messy stopgap that was 2004???s Nightfreak And The Sons Of Becker.

Rather, the third full-length from this Hoylake sextet sees them steer their tattered galleon into darker waters, penning songs like "She Sings The Mourning" and "A Warning To The Curious" filled to the brim with bad vibes, an unhealthy preoccupation with death and disease, and guitar solos that coil and uncoil like a hat full of maggots. Sterling tunes aplenty, but in particular, frontman James Skelly stands out here, thanks to his evident delight for dark imagery both superstitious - "An open door on the 13th floor/Conspiracy on the corridor," goes "Cripples Crown" ??? and plain deranged: "Can you dance with the lepers in the madman???s house?" he barks, over and over, as "Arabian Sand" barrels to a bug-eyed close. --Louis Pattison

As with all Coral albums, it takes me a few listens to genuinely appreciate how good the music is. 1st listen - sounds OK but a bit up and down; 2nd & 3rd listens - There's a few stand out tracks in there. After that it all seems to make sense and the whole ablum merges and flows. Reminds me of Rattus Norvegicus by The Stranglers in places ( particularly Arabian Sand)

THE CORAL The Invisible Invasion
Deltasonic Records. 12 tracks.
At a time when our media feels there is need to force-feed us poor reincarnations of already poor 80s pop groups (Bravery/Duran Duran, Coldplay/Simple Minds, U2/U2), it's reassuring that British music can still boast bands like the Coral. Following the disappointment of third outing "Nightfreaks..." (an album which showcased a band exhausting themselves of ideas) another release from The Coral, so quickly after didn't seem to make sense. Delightful opener 'She Sings The Mourning' dispelled any doubts instantly... the band hade thankfully realised why we loved them so much on those first two albums. On the negative side there is nothing here to match tracks like 'Dreaming Of You' or 'Goodbye' but on a much larger positive side, this is devoid of the filler that marred their earlier offerings; it's easily their first complete album. Whilst you do miss the playfulness of their initial work you can't help but feel excited to hear an established act (they have after all released four albums now) which is still maturing and still improving (and the oldest member is only 24!). There aren't many bands like the Coral; capable of making such an essentially retro sound so modern (and most importantly so fresh and relevant).
Darren Howells
Blues Matters!

The summery pop single 'In The Morning' is somewhat misleading as this album is, as you have probably read, their darkest yet. This is no bad thing, and psychedelic tracks such as 'The Operator' and 'Arabian Sand' stand out as high points of their entire career to date - the reviewers above who criticise the songwriting do not understand songwriting. The whole thing is cohesive, catchy (without being jarring) and nicely sinister. I actually skip over 'In The Morning' because it doesn't sit well with it's surrounding material, all of which is excellent.

A classic album of 2005.

This is much better than Nightfreak..., The Coral's mini-album. There is a real expansion of musical style here, as the boys show us they're more than one trick ponies.

So Long Ago has a skiffle feel to it, while Arabian Sand has a middle-eastern flair.

A real triumph for The Coral, and a must-buy for 2005!

Being used to the upbeat sound of their first two albums, and having steered clear of the critically panned "Nightfreak . . .", I was not expecting the darker sound of "The Invisible Invasion." At first I thought the album was mundane at best. However, after a few listens this album has really grown on me, and if you are a Coral fan I would recommend it, if not for three or four very good songs. Despite this, it is not their finest hour.