While their first full-length album has been playing in heavy rotation in the UK for months now, chances are before even releasing a CD stateside, Glasgow, Scotland trio The Fratellis have already accrued an American fan base — all thanks to the wonders of Apple and their ever-infectious iPod commercials.
"Flathead," a track off the indie rockers' pumping release Costello Music served as the soundtrack for Technicolor iPod silhouettes as they flailed and jived their way across the screen during the tech powerhouse's January ad campaign, and with the March distribution of the album, The Fratellis show they have plenty more energy left to give.
The band, which features Barry Wallace on bass, John Lawler on guitar and lead vocals, and Gordon McRory manning the drums, plugs along with the swagger of a bar band, the driving tempos of the Kaiser Chiefs and the raw intensity of fellow playful UK songsters Arctic Monkeys — and it's spectacular.
With each passing handclap and guitar riff, The Fratellis draw listeners further into their musical world, where it would not be out of the ordinary to toe tap and clap along the whole set through and then cap off the night by chugging pints of Guinness with the trio at the local pub.
In similar fashion to Arctic Monkeys' debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, on Costello Music, The Fratellis waste no time getting to the point. Their pop-infused album kicks off to a rousing start with "Henrietta," which commences in a guitar-driven rhythm that only continues to build momentum throughout, launching into fierce choruses and dialing the intensity down into short, playful interludes. This segues perfectly into the hit "Flathead," a track that does anything but drag. Just one spin of this track is enough for listeners to hop up out of their seats and take a break from their ho-hum lives by re-enacting the colorful jazzercise of the iPod advertisement. Another interesting twist comes halfway through the fresh track when the trio breaks into a light instrumental interlude and channels its inner Sufjan Stevens with a bright, echoing chorus.
As much as The Fratellis thrive on the energy of their up-tempo songs, the band is equally at home on low-key tracks. The album's third track, "Whistle for the Choir," easily draws comparisons to Arctic Monkeys' "Mardy Bum," but completes the overall presentation a tad more effectively. Frontman Lawler takes his vocals down a notch, and instead of belting out each pointed lyric, he is able to deliver the melody in a soothing, softer tone. Likewise, "Ole Black 'n' Blue Eyes" also thrives as a result of its dancing melody. Never trying too hard, the band takes its sound in an increasingly bluesy, jazz direction that strikes an effective balance when sandwiched between its livelier pieces.
The Scottish trio also excels in the art of crafting a mood from the opening seconds of its tracks. This is especially evident in the first few bars of "Creepin Up the Backstairs," where the muted drum, hand clap syncopation creates an overall sneaky tone before breaking into a livelier, louder rendition with the sonic arrival of "the escape."
Although The Fratellis elicit comparisons to other rising UK bands of the indie/alt-rock genre, its debut effort Costello Music certainly showcases enough energy and surprising elements to set the band apart from the rest of the pack. Rest assured, their delivery may be blunt and carry emotion, but they are certainly not among the likes of British weeping act, James "You're Beautiful" Blunt. With a bag full of infectious rhythms, catchy lyrics and raucous arrangement of guitar and drums, The Fratellis have arrived to spread a little punk spirit, and hell, maybe even throw back a pint or five.
Grade: 3.5 out of 5
