The Coral have surprise released a new album.

After secretly putting out the physical records two weeks ago at independent record shops, '388' is now available in all the usual places digitally and high street stockists.

The follow-up to 2023’s Sea Of Mirrors, which reached the top five of the UK Official Albums Chart, was recorded at Kempston Street Studio in Liverpool. The Merseyside band recorded in the mornings, doing two or three takes per song at most, before breaking for Chinese takeaway.

Alongside sharing the record with the world, they've released a video for the single Let The Music Play. Singer and songwriter James Skelly introduced the song:

“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.”

The Coral will play a number of UK festivals and concert series this summer, including the Southampton Summer Sessions and Live At The Piece Hall supporting Amy MacDonald, Tramlines in Sheffield and Kendal Calling.