This you know: the NME likes them quite a lot; they often enjoy a 'funny cigarette'; they're 'psychedelic scousers'; there's six of them and they're no older than 21 and in interviews, they often show off their 'wacky' personas. All this is true, but don't let it effect your judgement. The Coral have just made an exhilarating album that is as strange as it is hummable, as brilliant as it is bizarre.

The album begins almost identically to 'See Emily Play' by Pink Floyd, and it ends by segueing into Bob Marley's 'Get Up, Stand Up'. On all of these 11 (12, including the brilliant secret track 'Best Laid Plans') songs, the influences are as easy to point as on the last Oasis album, it's just that there are so darn many of them. Take the best song here, 'Skeleton Key', it's the sound of Captain Beefheart galloping a thousand horses before sinking into a puddle of 'LoveSexy'-era Prince. The same trick is played on 'Shadows Fall', where the Echo And The Bunnymen gone Reggae of the verses suddenly bursts in to a 10 second Jazz Shuffle. And on both of these occasions, it seems like the most natural thing in the world.

But The Coral can write a good pop song when they want to. 'Dreaming Of You', 'Waiting For The Heartaches' and single 'Goodbye' are all tales of lost and confused love with choruses that wouldn't sound out of place on any song in the Top Ten. Admittedly, this is the top ten of fourty years ago, but it still counts.

Despite the eclecticism, The Coral have managed to retain a trademark sound. Though this is mainly down to James Skelley's voice (A hybrid of Beefheart, Lee Maver's and Jim Morrison) and the spaghetti guitar work of Bill Ryder-Jones, each member plays a part in creating a sort of calm anarchy. The album is so packed full of ideas it often sounds like it could explode at any minute, but the band manage to keep the songs tight and cohesive, keeping a sense of focus and making each track accessible.

'The Coral' signifies two things: the return of the phrase 'Daddle Doo' to the pop song ('Simon Diamond') and the best alt.mainstream debut since the Super Furry Animals' 'Fuzzy Logic'.