CORAL FUZZ – Fata Morgana (2023, Digital, Self Release) 

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Self Release (Bandcamp)

Format: Digital

Release Date: 3 Nov 2023

Coral Fuzz is a new Surf-Garage-Psych trio hailing from Athens, Greece, consisting of George Papakwstas on Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Vocals, Farfisa Organ (also a member of Polaroid Buffalo Club, and Acid Visions – the band that was made by 2 remaining members of The Sound Explosion); Manos K on Bass, Backing vocals; Argyris Aliprantis on Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals. Unfortunately, their self-released debut album is only released digitally through their Bandcamp page, and I’m hoping/praying for a vinyl release soon… You see, it’s one of those albums that you want to start a record label just to release it! Yes, that good… So, keep reading, hehe… Coral Fuzz’s debut album is called “Fata Morgana” and probably they did not name it like this because of King Arthur’s half-sister Witch Morgan le Fay (Fata Morgana), but because of the Fata Morgana summer optical phenomenon, but anyhow let’s focus to the album which lasts 30 minutes and consists of 10 tracks. “Fata Morgana” kicks off with “Shiny Days” – the precursor single of the album – a sunny, cheerful song, full of summer energy, full of innocent brilliance, a track that by its very first seconds sets the scenery some 10.880 kilometers away from Athens, to some sunny coast of California! This is 2:59 minutes of powerful Surf n’ Roll with a pinch of Garage sounding, a song that reminds or draws its inspiration if you wish, from the current L.A. garage-psych scene and bands like The Creation Factory, The Allah-Las, Mystic Brave… How lovely… The next one is called “Andalucia” and it is a complete summer song, plenty of summer vibes blend with some energetic surfy music under a big Del Shannon “Runaway” prism while there’s an unusual mind-blowing middle section that sets the scene and only for just a few seconds somewhere in Spain, Andalucia probably, and all these exciting things are happening in just 2 minutes, my Gosh! Fucking wow! “Run n’ Hide” is a mid-tempo tune, emerging a nostalgic ‘summer’ feel, blending in a rather cool way some Surfy with some Garage-y vibes… What follows, is simply, an instant classic! It’s called “Saw You In My Dream” and ALL radio stations across California (and not only) would/could have aired it back in the hot summer of ‘66! It’s powerful, it’s full of energy, it’s so Garage-y, where literally the melody overflows, filling everything with euphoria and adrenaline! I think I might have played it a thousand times, probably so many others through my radio show… Who said that nowadays there cannot be made songs like this one… Like what? Like a magnificent Garage-y Surfy Nugget! So catchy, so wonderfully addictive! Another elegant jewel follows, “My Baby’s Gone” makes you wonder where the heck did they draw inspiration to built/create such powerful melodic little masterpieces? “Scorching Sun” is a quite rhythmic energetic surf n’ roll instro, danceable and surfy! The self-titled “Fata Morgana” is also a mid-tempo tune, full of nostalgia, a song that shows excellent musicianship, in composing, in performing, one of these “summer” songs that help you to recall/reminisce past summer memories… “Not Your Type” starts… and I forgot to mention on all other previous songs that I’m really impressed by the dynamic and gentle and somehow sophisticated drumming, so this song here makes no exception of course, it’s another fantastic track that I may say it dangerously flirts with Garage-Rock, there are a few pinches of Psych, here and there, and… there’s no revival here, and I’ll have to “credit” the boys for that!!! “Guitar Radiation” is a cover, that I found out because of the thanking note from the band to the original composer… It is taken from the 12” EP ”From 20,000 Fathoms” released in 1986 by the Australians The Stonefish, a surf instrumental that is written by Dom Mariani (The Stems, Datura4, etc…). This is a pretty close, almost identical cover version, surf rock n’ roll at its best! Eventually, the album comes to an end with “Back Again”, a really cool track, a song that flirts with Surf, with Garage, and even with Country & Western, a rather rhythmically interesting song! So, “Fata Morgana” is 30 minutes and 26 seconds of pure pleasure! Coral Fuzz is a most promising band that personally I think the more they stick and try to explore the glorious past (60s) the more they have to give, further, what I like about them is that they have a fascinating way to filter their “influences” and present them in a phantasmagoric glorious way through their original compositions, and believe me this is a very hard and a very rare “phenomenon” these unconventional days we’re living… TimeLord Michalis    

PS By the way “Fata Morgana” made it to my list with the Best TOP 50+1 albums of 2023, reaching No. 20 (check the list here)

Tracklist

Links

Listen/Buy through CORAL FUZZ Bandcamp

Visit/Check CORAL FUZZ Facebook