The Hanging Stars - The House On The Hill

(This review first appeared in issue 51 of Shindig! magazine)

Anyone bemoaning the lack of recent releases by The Coral will take comfort from this three tracker by London's loose rootsy collective. 'House On The Hill' is a murder ballad which takes the Hoylake boys' folk-rock template and adds lush vocal harmonies and a twangy surf-guitar solo by guest Christof Certik. B-side 'Endlessly Aimless' has more of a fey indie feel, its themes of loneliness and longing given a psychedelic twist by the addition of Mellotron strings.

Rounding things off is a cover of The Gun Club's 'Mother Of Earth'. A live favourite, it's slightly faster than the original but maintains the tumbleweed country eeriness via pedal steel and baritone vocals. A slice of dark Americana at odds with the jangle of the previous tracks though no less satisfying. With three different styles showcased, it'll be interesting to see which wins out when their debut LP follows next year.

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