Consider comparing records to a dinner party. The songs are the guests, the lead singer is the host, and the general ambience on the record is the meal itself. When using this approach, The Coral's Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker would be a small buffet, perhaps located in an old castle upon a dark hill. The host would be a kind gentleman, wearing stylish clothes, but with a weird twist in his eyes. The guests would initially seem to be an eclectic bunch of misfits, but they'd all have a certain similarity, such as a fanatical obsession for the works of an obscure Spanish author.
To prevent myself from writing the remainder of this review in metaphors (by comparing instruments to cutlery), I will try to describe some of the aspects of this record in a more down-to-earth manner. Nightfreak is considered by the band to be a small entrée (no, I will stop now, I swear) to their forthcoming third album. It was recorded in only one week in North-Wales. As on their previous outings, The Coral tend to refer to many musical styles, which keeps their records exciting and varied.
In many ways, that approach works again on this record. Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker boils with energy, excitement, and a passion to experiment. However, I do believe The Coral could have been a little more critical when considering the candidates for the final tracklisting. Even on such a relatively obscure release (Nightfreak is a limited edition mini-album), a song such as "Keep Me Company" could have been left off. While the song may not be in line with the overall tone of the album, the majority of Nightfreak is certainly of good quality.
Now, do a little work and relate it to my intro, could you?
1. Precious Eyes
2. Venom Cable
3. I Forgot My Name
4. Song of the Corn
5. Sorrow or the Song
6. Auntie's Operation
7. Why Does The Sun Come Up
8. Grey Harpoon
9. Keep Me Company
10. Migraine
11. Lovers Paradise
More about: The Coral
