Irish indie outfit The Coronas don’t have the most marketable of names given the current global situation – something they addressed in their recent interview with us – but that hasn’t stopped them from releasing their sixth studio album True Love Waits this week.Whether that’s a PR disaster or an ingenious bit of brand strategising, only time will tell.

More importantly, True Love Waits is the band’s first release since they reverted back to a three-piece following the departure of guitarist and founding member Dave McPhillips at the end of last year. Some reports suggested his exit might spell the end for The Coronas, but thankfully that didn’t prove to be true.

McPhillips’ departure certainly hasn’t prompted any drastic shift in the group’s sound. Title track True Love Waits is a great opener, building from a slow start to a juddering crescendo that instantly reminds you what an addictive voice lead singer Danny O’Reilly possesses. Never Ending (On Your Side) builds on that momentum, and even throws some brass into the mix, before the much-hyped duet with Gabrielle Aplin – Lost In The Thick Of It – arrives and captivates you with its glorious harmonies.

I Think We Jinxed It, Haunted and Cold are the cinematic heart of the album, with an almost orchestral feel to the tracks that also see O’Reilly’s voice hit some incredible highs. These are soaring indie-pop songs of the highest order, every bit the equal of some of the biggest bands currently specialising in that business.

If you’re thinking that’s all well and good, but where are the floor fillers, then don’t worry. Heat Of The Moment brings a lovely little riff with it and a feeling of classic Embrace that you can imagine closing out indie nights up and down the country, while Find The Water is a dizzying dance-infused beauty of a song that I found very hard to get out of my head.

Right now, The Coronas still feel like a little bit of a well-kept secret. But if they keep writing songs of this quality, that won’t be the case for much longer. Though they may have to do something about that name first.

True Love Waits track list:

1. True Love Waits

2. Never Ending (On Your Side)

3. Lost In The Thick Of It

4. I Think We Jinxed It

5. Haunted

6. Cold

7. Brave

8. Heat Of The Moment

9. Find The Water

10. Need Your Presence

11. Light Me Up

12. LA At Night

 indie        rock 

Watch the official video for Lost In The Thick Of It here.

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.