Album Review | 'summer of u' 

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The Canandaigua-via-Boston band Coral Moons’ last album, 2022’s “Fieldcrest,” was a crisp collection of diverse tunes that spanned warm-weather pop jams to sultry soul and R&B ballads, with elements of arena rock and even disco.

On the follow-up, “summer of u” — released on July 25 and produced by Andy D. Park — the quartet delves deeper into pop with plenty of ’80s signifiers. Park is an expert at cultivating big sounds, having served as an engineer for everyone from R&B singer Ciara and indie rock sensation Death Cab for Cutie to grunge titans in Pearl Jam.

Led by the earnest and energetic vocals of rhythm guitarist Carly Kraft, Coral Moons has become surgical in its implementation of anthemic pop hooks. The opening title track builds on the merits of the previous album’s “I Feel Alive,” but with a sonic optimism that was missing from the “Fieldcrest” cut.


Park dials up the reverb on the playful, self-deprecating “poser.” Songs like “too high” and “arcade” — with added synths for vibes and texture — seem as if they were written four decades earlier and unearthed mere months ago.


Despite the presence of more overt electronic timbres, the Coral Moons sound remains guitar-driven, steered by lead guitarist Justin Bartlett (Jessica Dobson of the band Deep Sea Diver also contributes guitar). Lyrically, Coral Moons is at its most poignant when Kraft gets introspective, battling doubts to achieve a freedom that comes from self-expression: I wish I had a reason for loving me / I wish I had a secret to set me free, she sings on “secrets.”


This album feels like a momentous step forward for Coral Moons, proving its streamability with catchy, tightly constructed songs produced with hi-fidelity sheen and an ear for what large, live audiences want.

Daniel J. Kushner is an arts writer at CITY. He can be reached at [email protected].