Fratellis
>> Costello Music
>> Fallout Recordings / Island
It’s finally here! Woohoo! The most lovable band in Scotland finally produce the long-awaited debut album through Drop The Gun Recordings / Island Records.
If you are still not aware of this band (first featured in the Lick Mag back in November 2005 I might add…) then you’re either dead or dead boring. The Fratellis are everywhere – and deservedly so.
Costello music is a tale of honest-man Jon Fratelli & 2 chums and their wacky real-life adventures in the wonderful city of Glasgow, be it getting his ‘nuts’ in the back of a hippy’s van or simply stumbling in from another drunken night out – God I feel so patriotic as write this! Couple these tales of mischief with some of the best lyrics and catchiest melodies I’ve heard all year and you’ll end up with Costello Music, a fabulous record made with the loveable attitude of three Glaswegian slackers.
Right from the word go the toes are tapping and you’re throwing a pint over the guy next to you, with the radio breakthrough track Henrietta grabbing you by the balls and making you dance like a complete arse. There are plenty of ‘la la la’ moments and whistle-a-long tracks in there just to get everyone going.
Lyrically I can only see Mr Turner of Arctic Monkeys competing with this record this year in terms of local, honest raw-ness, and it may be the Scottish-ness of it all that puts it ahead of the Monkeys for me. The way Jon sings although I may be on a downer I’m still ready e’ dream in Whistle For the Choir really hits a spot.
There are singles galore all through this album, and I’m sure Creeping Up the Backstairs will be released again having featured on the Fratellis Ep released through Nomadic records back in April. Chelsea Dagger and Henrietta may have already been imbedded in your soundtrack to 2006, but wait for Whistle for the Choir to back them both up and show the true raw talent of this band – a fabulous tale of a lost Glaswegian on another night out.
The Fratellis live show may usually turn into a riot-fest but the lads have taken time over these carefully and thoughtfully written pop songs, having absolutely nailed the art of writing simple, catchy songs which people can relate too – which is the hardest thing to do well. It’s six in the morning and I’m walking along, beside the ghost of every drinker who's ever done wrong – how many of us have been there?
So it's top-hat’s off time now as we salute this band who have produced one of the best records of the year. Even if I am Scottish and proud!
>> Joe Sach
www.thefratellis.com
