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Magic & Medicine - The Coral
User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11

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  1. BenJ
    Jul 30, 2003
    6
    Neither as musically inventive nor, sadly, as melodic as their debut. The songs amble, the mood is pretty dour, and only "Pass It On" raises the stakes.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. NorthFreedomFighter
    Apr 6, 2005
    9
    Beautifully crafted and innovative, a definite must have for anyone with any interest in Brit Rock and psychedelica.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. AaronM
    Aug 3, 2003
    9
    Brilliant!! Better than their debut.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. NseE
    Mar 28, 2004
    10
    ?Magic & Medicine? comprises melodic tunes, and begins with the Beatles-ish ?In the forest?, a short, delightful strumming number, followed by the catchy ?Don?t think you?re the first?. ?Bill McCai? is a bouncy sing-along tune with a sharp twist to the tale. ?Eskimo lament? is a tender ballad with great vocal harmonizing and a superb horn break. Other standouts are ?Secret kiss? and ?Confessions of A.D.D.D? with a great instrumental finale. ?All of our love? would not sound out of place on a Radiohead cd. The bonus cd 'Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker' sounds like it was recorded by an entirely different group. The sound is darker, more experimental, Radiohead-ish (?Song of the corn?, ?Sorrow or the song?, ?Keep me company?) and Super Furry Animal-ish (?Precious eyes?). The standout on this disc is the superb, upbeat ?Grey Harpoon? with its X-Files/Twilight Zone-like sound effects. A splendid slice of Brit pop. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. NedF
    Aug 1, 2003
    9
    Such a contrast from their first one, but in a good way, with James Skelly's wonderful voice echoing through things like "All Of Our Love". Truly marvellous.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. RobertA
    Apr 3, 2004
    8
    This album is lively but a little less fun then their debut.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Rolling Stone
    70
    A subtler pleasure. [30 Oct 2003, p.92]
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    Suggests even more urgently that that landmark album that's so patently within their grasp is tantalisingly close. This, however, is not it. Not quite. It is still, nevertheless, a quite dazzling album.
    Read full review
  3. Under The Radar
    90
    This time around, a more restrained approach means a less exhausting listening experience. [#5, p.99]
See all critic reviews »