I first became acquainted with The Coral courtesy of my satellite radio station and based on the two tracks that were in such heavy rotation, I couldn't wait to get my hands on their debut album. As it turned out one of those tunes wasn't even on that record - it's on this one, and it's certainly the centerpiece tune, track two "Don't Think You're the First." I must admit that I was terribly disappointed that this song wasn't on their debut, and in truth their debut was a spotty bit of work, that I gave a 3 1/2 based more on what I knew was their potential, than on the material on the album itself.

The thing to remember is that this Liverpudlian sextet are just out of their teens and it showed on several of the tracks - yet there was enough there to recognize an enormous potential. Which I'm happy to report comes across far more assuredly on Magic and Medicine. Strangely enough this album comes with an interesting bonus - their third album, Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker. I'll review it separately, since I'll have my hands full justifying the 4 rating I intend to give M and M.

The one thing that certainly sets this band apart and gives them a leg up on so many other bands is the stunning vocal gift of James Skelly. He uses it a little too much like Jim Morrison at times, and The Doors are probably the band's most obvious touchstone. There's no question that the aim of the band is to mine treasures from the past, Magic and Medicine takes you back to the 60's Mersey Beat sound at times, (The Animals) with the definite American flavorings of early Grateful Dead (track 3 "Liezah," sounds like a lost track from American Beauty), and even CCR here and there.

Skelly's vocals are a good bit more sonorous than Morrison and in that respect a few of the tunes bring to mind Ian McCulloch's take on the Lizard King's thing. Keyboardist Nick Power is definitely a disciple of Ray Manzerik, but he has a taste for jazzier experimentation more akin to Dave Brubeck and as my colleague Kyle England pointed out, Captain Beafheart. In fact he saw them live and was far more impressed with their live set than he was with their debut.

While Magic and Medicine remains true to the bands sometimes recklessly experimental tangents, they are far more shored up and it makes for a far more satisfying listen. Though it loses focus over the course of the last few tunes. If I could cull the best tracks from this album and their debut I could put together an album that would have appeared on every critics best-of list the world over. As it stands the lads appear content to take this kind of success on their own terms. Give me a few days and I'll let you know where Nightfreak figures into this amazing young bands' evolution.