KING CORAL: ‘Man I Am’ – A flash of the late 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s era, mixed with a splash of modern-day instinct!

Posted By: Rick JammPosted date: October 19, 2014in: Reviews1 Comment

KING CORAL formed a few months ago and are already halfway towards producing their first album. The band consists of singer-songwriter, Jaimze and Matt Taylor, the producer, recording engineer and multi-instrumentalist. The KING CORAL sound goes back to the late 70s-early 80s to capture the musical exuberance from that time. The duo says: “We want to produce songs that tell great stories and that engage our listeners.”

‘Man I Am’ the debut EP by KING CORAL is soulful, retro, fresh and vital indie rock played for fun, with passion and integrity, pawing at a power pop core. These are indie rockers with a flair for melody and substance that rings the bell like a hungry and missed old friend, while rock rhythms fly around the room searching for a decent pair of ears. The band sounds exceptionally tight and professional, and the music flows with a naturally sincere warmth that reminds you why it matters. Recalls artists may great artists from the past.

You might ask: “What separates this band from thousands of other so-called indie bands? Well, what make them stand apart are their infectious hooks that take off and turn into full-fledged choruses, yet at the same time remain a hint, and a tease to the ear. This is particularly evident on “Man I Am”. You’re always wanting more, waiting for them to sing a repeat or a double refrain, but they never do!

KING CORAL produce melodies that meander and all of sudden swerve to a different direction, riffs that instead of exploding into the bombastic apex you’re expecting, implode or morph into something else. Like on the gentle and touching, “She Was So Young and So Beautiful”. Right after the chorus, you’ll be waiting for the song to rebuild its way up to a potent bridge and then into another forceful chorus. Instead KING CORAL keep breaking the arrangement down, slowly burning it out like a dying candle. Brilliant!

You can detect influences that go as far back as The Kinks and The Doors, back up to The Cars and David Bowie, and often imbued with an intensity of emotion not often found in modern music. However, notwithstanding their past influences, KING CORAL have somehow crafted their own style. And what’s present here, is what is usually missing in popular music these days…excellent melodies!

Another incredible feat is that each song stands on its own. Each track, is like a new story, totally different than the one prior to it, yet never losing cohesion among the tracks. Measure the musical distance between “Under The Airport” and “Kinda Blue” to better grasp this concept.

How annoying it is to listen to an album or EP and feel as if you just listened to one long boring track. This is definitely not the case with ‘Man I Am’. Any band that can come up with truly catchy melodies these days is a true gem. A flash of the late 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s era, mixed with a splash of modern-day instinct, I guess is what makes KING CORAL sound fresh, new and original; common ingredients but an entire new outcome!