There have been quite a few retro-inspired British indie rock bands jostling for attention lately (The Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party to name just a few). You might even be thinking that you're just about done with all of them and it's time to move on. Well, The Fratellis are here with their debut CD Costello Music to prove you wrong.
Taking cues in equal part from David Bowie, the early Beatles, and The Clash, the Fratellis craft an infectious blend of indie rock. Kicking off the album is "Henrietta" a fast-paced tale of lusting after a married woman. The song is a great example of The Fratellis style: straightforward racy lyrics with a liberal amount of guitar and a pub-rock attitude. "Henrietta we got no flowers for you / Just these three miserable cunts / Sitting on the back seat banging on the off beat / We know you love us and you probably do."
Of course, "Flathead" (from the latest iPod ad) is a highlight of the album, certainly one of the most catchy tracks, and has a great "bara bop a bara a ra ra ra" yodel. "Whistle For The Choir" echoes fellow Brit rockers The Libertines in its downbeat yet infectious stylings and provides a little downtime before "Chelsea Dagger" comes bursting in leading a T.Rex inspired wave of glam-rock that continues until the end of the album, disrupted only by slower-paced "Doginabag".
"For the Girl" gives lead singer Jon Fratelli a chance to reminisce on failed romances and throws around more "la la la"s for than most full albums contain, let alone one song. "Vince the Loveable Stoner" is a sublime song that shows off the band's playful, rowdy lyrics. "And I haven't seen a pupil in his eyes for 16 days / The catholic girls love him in a hundred million different ways / An he's been up for days / In a big malaise / He's only living 'till the salad days."
It's crude rock (perhaps even juvenile) to be sure, but The Fratellis put so much passion into the music, create such catchy tunes, and charge ahead with such self assuredness (the album has 13 songs and not one can be called filler) that you'll end up spinning Costello Music for months.
Sure, the British rock-revival genre may be getting a bit cramped, but the Fratellis prove it's certainly not running out of steam, or fresh sounds.
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