Merseyside favourites The Coral have officially released their surprise thirteenth studio album, 388, alongside a brand-new music video for their latest single, Let The Music Play.
Two weeks after being released under the cover of a physical format-only distribution, quietly stocked on independent record shop shelves, the band responded to widespread rumour by making the 11-track record available.
The surprise launch serves as a thrilling highlight for local fans ahead of the band’s upcoming homecoming appearances on the regional live circuit this summer.
Singer and songwriter, James Skelly, said:
“The recording is an ode to the sound of cassette tapes by The Wailers and Lee Scratch Perry that we used to buy in second-hand shops, Poundland and car boot sales.
“The song itself is us trying to make sense of the world but arriving at the fact that only music will ever make sense.”
Recorded in just two weeks, the album was heavily inspired by Rocksteady, vocal groups of the early 60s, Ethiopiques compilations and “the highs, lows, births and deaths of the last three decades,” bringing the group back to the core essence of being The Coral.
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The unexpected album drop coincides with a busy seasonal live schedule for the Hoylake-formed band, who are set to perform across the country before returning for massive outdoor shows in the local area.
Hitting the UK Official Album Chart Top Five with their last album, 2023’s Sea Of Mirrors, The Coral also hit the road on a run of festival dates this summer, opening with Southampton’s Summer Sessions on Fri 12 June 2026.
The full itinerary of the band’s imminent live appearances includes stops at Halifax’s The Piece Hall on 18 June, Chelmsford’s State Fayre, and a massive local appearance at Birkenhead’s We Are Wirral 2026 festival on 18–19 July.
They are also confirmed to perform at Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival, Wadebridge’s Rock Oyster Festival, Kendal Calling, Trentham Live with Madness, Victorious Festival, and a major outdoor concert supporting the Courteeners at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park on 29 August, before concluding at the Big Feastival on 30 August.
Tickets for all upcoming shows, as well as orders for 388 on standard and coloured vinyl, CD, and digital formats, can be found via links at the band’s official website here.
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The release adds another chapter to one of the region’s most celebrated musical histories, which spans over twenty-five years of critically acclaimed alternative pop.
Over the past three decades, The Coral have released six UK Top Five albums, including 2003’s Magic and Medicine, featuring noughties indie-defining single, Pass It On, alongside krautrock concept album, Nightfreaks and the Sons of Becker (2003), fourth album, The Invisible Invasion (2005) and the recent brace of Coral Island and Sea of Mirrors.
The band’s biggest-selling single, Dreaming of You, has entered the songbook of great British pop songs and was certified platinum in 2025, while their debut album was nominated for the 2002 Mercury Prize.
They were nominated for the BRIT Award for Best Group in 2004.
The official track listing for the new record features: Let The Music Play, Ride That Train, Leave It In The Past, You & Me (And The Beautiful Sea), Shame, Here Come The Tears, Yellow Moon, Sad Girl, High Tide, Spirit Catcher, and Crossing The Sands.
