The Coral have released their new album 388, two weeks after quietly slipping physical copies into independent record shops without announcement.
The rock band have paired the release with a video for the new single Let The Music Play as it arrives across major retailers and digital platforms.
Frontman James Skelly says the single nods to the battered cassette tapes by The Wailers and Lee “Scratch” Perry that the band grew up finding in bargain bins and car‑boot sales.
He explained that the track reflects their attempt to make sense of a chaotic world, ultimately landing on the idea that music remains the only thing that truly adds up.
James said: “The recording is an ode to the sound of cassette tapes by The Wailers and Lee Scratch Perry that we used to buy in second hand shops, Poundland and car boot sales. The song itself is us trying to make sense of the world but arriving at the fact that only music will ever make sense.”
The album features eleven new tracks, including Ride That Train, Here Come The Tears and Spirit Catcher. Full details on formats, merchandise and tickets for the band’s upcoming dates are available via thecoral.co.uk.
The band will return to the stage this summer for a run of festival dates beginning at Southampton’s Summer Sessions on June 12. Further shows are set to follow throughout the season.
388 follows last year’s Sea Of Mirrors, which took the group back into the UK Top Five.
The band are known for experimenting with their output, and last year they re-recorded their debut album in an 8-bit video game format.
The Dreaming of You indie rockers reworked their entire 2002 self-titled record with bassist Paul Duffy using the miniBit platform to put a nostalgic, lo-fi twist on the LP.
The Coral Caves Of Illusion – Debut Album Celebration landed in September.
Revealing his motivation for the album, Paul said: “How do I make it sound like my favourite level on Sonic or Mickey Mouse’s Castle Of Illusion?”
The band were in the midst of working with director James Slater on documentary Dreaming of You, which focuses on the band’s formation and experiences recording their first album.
Paul recalled: “We were in the process of filming the documentary and James asked Nick Power (keyboards) if anyone could make an 8-bit version of Shadows Fall for a short scene in which we were depicted as pixel characters.
“Nick said: ‘Duffy’s your man’. I’ve always been a bit of a gamer, so it was perfect for me. “Everyone loved it so much that they said do the whole first album in 8-bit. Now it’s featured throughout the documentary.”