The passing of Amy Winehouse left a void in the hearts of many of her fans. Though her presence will be missed, her music can never go away. But if a fan is looking to capture a bit of Winehouses’s impassioned spirit and diabolically sensual energy, they would be wise to spin the single ‘The Rolling Stone’ by indie songstress Coral.
What makes Coral so agreeable is her seemingly sweet-natured ability to add country, rock, and classically inspired R&B into a well versed little mixture. ‘The Rolling Stone’ has an undeniable folk edge in the drum pattern and instrumentation which accompanies it. But Coral follows through with this gnarly roar singing voice that pops up sporadically. It gives her voice and the song an edge that would be lacking otherwise. The guitar solo, though short and sweet, helps accentuate this raucous approach she has going.
This makes Coral seem far more honest and relatable. Her singing voice is not super manufactured and polished, a far cry from many of her peers. She balances out a tight musicianship with a charmingly bristly voice here and there. But let’s not go crazy! She isn’t impersonating a lumberjack or anything. Her voice soars beautifully akin to Amy Winehouse or, dare I say, the pop singing queen Adele. While the song bobs along at a brisk-paced upbeat folk/rock speed, her voice bounces along jovially and pleasantly every step of the way.
For traditional rock fans, this will certainly be a loving little number. Folk fans will feel engaged by what Coral has to offer. But perhaps the most important element is in the singing. Vocal purists should feel widely impressed by her melodies, accenting the right notes and playing off the guitar with dynamic confidence. The song seems pulled right out of a live setting by a seasoned veteran of the craft.
Coral’s next step is to bring her obvious musical talent to a larger stage. With hopes of standing equal to the pop greats of today and before, there is little which can stop her rise to triumphant success. But why stop there? In the world of hip-hop, there is always another city to conquer, another artist to best. This is folk music, of course, but there is no reason to not match the boldness of hip-hop. With the swinging confidence portrayed by Coral, I see no reason why she can’t conquer more than her home country of New Zealand. Amy Winehouse fought innumerable setbacks to remain close to the top. But in the end, it was her voice and stage presence that will be remembered. Coral has that ‘girl next door’ sense like Lilly Allen, a voice like Amy Winehouse, and the undeniable passion and ability to stand alongside Adele. But in the world of music, longevity is not found in one cheerful rock tune. Time will tell and we are very much on Coral’s side.
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