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Who are the Fratellis?
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The Fratellis are an all male three-piece Indie/Rock group that hail from Glasgow, Scotland. The bands debut album has been released to widespread acclaim, which has seen the band, pick up prestigious awards like the best breakthrough ... Read review
A review by mtpatton on The Fratellis - Costello Music June 8th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Originality
Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics
Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks
Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Not applicable
Value for Money
Excellent
Advantages:
Upbeat,sing along album, no weak tracks, even makes me want to dance
Disadvantages:
It ends !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Intro ------------ I love this genre of music, however I cant remember the last time I went out to HMV and actually paid for one. We normally Purchase the albums from play for a far cheaper price. That is until the day that I heard Chelsea Dagger on the radio whilst on a coach from London to Oxford. As soon as got off the coach I went straight into HMW to buy the record. Luckily the album was on offer at £8.95 so I did not have to pay much more then plays price.
Who are the Fratellis? -------------------------------- The Fratellis are an all male three-piece Indie/Rock group that hail from Glasgow, Scotland. The bands debut album has been released to widespread acclaim, which has seen the band, pick up prestigious awards like the best breakthrough artist at the Brits for 2007.
The Album Cover -------------------------- The Album cover is a cartoonist image of Women dressed from the 1950’s (like the retro postcards that you get at the seaside) picking out Vinyl for the record collection. This is the retro image that the band I think, are trying to express. This theme is carried out throughout the booklet that comes with the album, with the images of the old fashioned ladies appearing alongside the song lyrics whilst holding the Fratellis album cover. Inside the cover is handly the words to all of the songs, Many of which need to be placed to fully understand the meaning of the song.
The covers for each of the bands singles that have been released thus far are exactly the same.
The Album
The album has 12 listed tracks and is 45 minutes long, which is about normal for a decent album. Here is a song by song rating of the album
1 Henrietta – What better way to draw the listener into the album then putting an upbeat track at the beginning. This song certainly gets your attention from the off. This song has a really happy feel to it, but is dark lyrics are actually about a tale of an older woman stalker 9/10 2 Flathead – This song follows straight one from Henrietta. With a catchy one line chorus of “bara bap bara ra ra ra bara bap bara ra ra ra” . This is a song that you will want to sing over and over again once it gets stuck into your head. 8/10 3 Whistle for the choir – Refreshing slow acoustic number. If I didn’t know who sang this I wouldn’t think it was The Fratellis. This song is about the harsh nature of city life for someone who comes from a smaller place, and turns into a love song after falling for an irresistible girl. 8.5/10 4 Chelsea Dagger – This Tune, and I will call it a tune as that is exactly what it is, is probably going to be the biggest track from the Album. This is an extremely catchy song and when I first heard it I was humming the tune at work for the next couple of weeks. It is a song that really just sticks in your head from the off and always make me just get up and dance. This is one of the Indie Anthems that will be around for years. The Intro to the song is now been played throughout the country at football to after a goal is scored. 10/10 5 For the Girl – With more of an electric guitar sound to the Intro, this is again yet another fairly upbeat song. This is probably the weakest track on the album, but on other albums it would stand out as a very good track and has a very catchy chorus – 7.5/10 6 Doginabag – The intro sounds like it’s a song from a by-gone era, by another great band The Kinks. Again a faultless track with a heavy swing sound influence - 8/10 7 Creepin up the Backstairs – Many people will argue that this is the song of the album, I can see the argument, but for me Chelsea dagger wins that one. A high placed drum intro which is shortly accompanied by a swift handclap, which is something that happens on many of the songs. This continues at a vigorous pace, with a high tempo lyrical manner. This song makes me think of the things that a young couple would do to be with each other. Brilliant 9.5 8 Vince the loveable stoner – Nice slow song and a brilliant way to chill out after the high paced velocity that had been developing in the album. This song is exactly what it says on the tin – It’s the story of Vince who is druggie. With lines like “I haven’t seen a pupil in his eyes for sixteen days”, Lines like that may hopefully turn the youth away from drugs, well hopefully! 9/10 9 Everybody knows you cried last night – This song is exactly what you get from the album. This has one of the most defined and easiest choruses to sing along to. Yet another of the Albums quite slow and ssteady tracks, this one has quite a strong drum beat to it. 9/10 10 Baby Fratelli – If you like the upbeat tracks on the album thus far then here is another beauty for you. This one starts very quickly and never seems to rapidly accelerate like many of the other songs. This has a nice lull in the middle to catch your breath as well. The chorus is defiantly one that I will sing in an indie club when very drunk. One of my favourites 9/10 11 Got ma nuts from a hippy – This tune has some very witty Lyrics – Especially the first verse as I’m sure anyone who has every tried to chat up a girl in a nightclub will understand. This song is a combination of a mixture of the two types of music on this album. Its is both upbeat and frantic at times while exploring chilled out aspects. The Electric guitar features heavily. 8/10 12 Ole black ‘n’ blue eyes – I love albums that finish with more relaxing songs at the end and this is probably the finest slower song on the album. The story of a girl who wants to make in a rock n roll band, but the guy singer ended up beating the wannabe rocker up. This song features the title of this review “Chelsea has got nowhere to go” 9/10
Bonus Track – There is a bonus track on the end of the album that is un-named on the Album. This is again yet another excellent track upbeat rocky track and gives an extra little bit to the album that you probably expecting (well until I spoilt it that is!)
So what’s my verdict?
Well as you can probably tell by my song ratings the album is a really excellent. Many of the songs will instantly stick in your head. This album brings together the modern upbeat and modern sounds but still retains a retro theme to it. For example when I heard the first thirty seconds of one track I thought it could have easily been written by the beatles, but it then transformed into one of the rockier songs on the album
My favourite way to Judge an Album is to ask how bad songs does it have? Well I personally don’t think this album has any. This album is excellent for waking up to and makes everybody want to dance. Whilst this is my kind of music, a lot of my friends who don’t really go for the Indie/Rock scene also love this.
One of the Final lines on the song is that Chelsea’s got nowhere to be, I really hope that this isn’t the case with the Fratellis. Highly recommended and one of the best albums I have purchased in a long time. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the album as much as me - 9/10
Advantages: Brilliant indie as it should be Disadvantages: None
This debut by the The Fratellis was released in 2006 to pretty critical acclaim and went straight into the UK charts in #2 (behind only Justin Timberlake). The Inlay sleeve cover (as can be seen above) has three women looking like their from the '60's and the booklet features lyrics, this can be very helpful to decipher tyhe singing in place ;-).
The opening track is "Henrietta" which was their debut single and their first top 40 hit (reaching 19 ... ...originally from the town of Paisley, near glasgow). The track sets off the whole tone to the album with a high tempo feel, strong guitar and simple indie formula. The lyrics help set it apart from their contemporary's and introduce the album as fun indie. 10/10
The following track "Flathead" keeps the same formula and the song is perhaps the reason the lyrics are in the booklet. The high tempo can be come hard to follow (or rather sing along to), ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: An excellent debut album Disadvantages: Disadvantages?!
Born and bread in Scotland, The Fratellis are proving to the world that there’s reason to get excited about the world of rock n’ roll at the moment with their debut outing “Costello Music”
Personally, the Arctic Monkeys are the best ‘new’ band I’ve heard in the past eighteen months…the Fratellis however must come a very respectable second. With my constant deploring on “NME-esque” bands, the Fratellis offer up something different to the norm. Jumpy, ... ...most people’s first taste of the band, and many would have been caught almost unaware of chanting the chorus in their head back and forth and tapping their feet to the rhythm for the rest of the day after having heard it on the TV or radio. That song set their benchmark and after listening to the album, there’s certainly more than just a one-off single on this production…
The term is quite simply “Catchy”. After a first listen, tracks such as “Henrietta”, ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: A good Indie Rock 70's throw back kind of album Disadvantages: I can't find any but I'm sure some people won't like it
Over the last couple of years Franz Ferdinand have really been putting Scottish music back on the British musical map. With the resurgence in Scotland has seen new bands spring up all over the place and in particular Glasgow seems to be boasting the best new bands. The next band tipped for big things are The Fratellis who seem to have come from nowhere to have one of the most memorable Festival songs of the summer. Having only played their first ... ...It's not just the speed of the release and the bands success, this debut effort was recorded over in Los Angeles, not exactly the usual recording destination for a first album. This showed that their record company had faith in them and that seems to be repaid on the album. In fact if it hadn't been for Justin Timberlake's latest album being released the same day The Fratellis could have gone straight into the number one spot on the album chart. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency...
How does it compare to ...
Value for Money
very helpful
07.10.2006
Incredible Album Review ofThe Fratellis - Costello Musicby
iToast
...speak too highly of it. The simple and laid-back yet incredibly catchy mood of it just puts me in a good mood every time I listen to it, which I have done more than any other album in my collection.
There is a slightly jazzy feel mixed in with the indie and rock, and the Fratellis have not done anything wrong. I can say that there is not a single let down in the album, and I can't think of anyone who wouldn't like it.
The Individual Songs:
Henrietta ... ...the album; upbeat, bouncy and impressively rhythmic, this song has me rocking in time listening to it again.
Flathead - 9.5/10 - slightly less upbeat, Flathead is no less bouncy, and shows a hint of aggression, which comes and goes throughout the song. The chorus, comprising of simple "ba"s will stay with you for the rest of the day if not the rest of the week. Unless you listen to the rest of the album!
Cuntry Boys & City Girls - 9/10 ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: lively upbat songs, Chelsea dagger Disadvantages: not very distinctive,
The Fratellis are one of a new wave of Glaswegian indie bands hot on the heels of Franz Ferdinand.
I was attracted to them after hearing their ultra catchy single Chelsea Dagger. The trio (who consist of singewr jon, bassist Barry and the wonderfully named Mince on drums) released their debut album "Costello Music" was released recently so when I saw it for a reasonable price I thought I would take a chance on it. I had not heard much of their stuff ... ...Chelsea). Would I regret buying the album or would I fall instantly in love with their sound? All will be revealed.
The CD cover attracted me. I liked it due to the kitsch, slightly risqué girls on it reminiscent of a Top of the pops album from the 70s, or perhaps girls from old saucy postcards. The album gets off to a promising start with Henrietta, a song about a married groupie. I really like it. It is a lively exuberant song with touches of ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: A fantastic CD that can be listened to from beginning to end! Disadvantages: None!
...What can I say? Asolutely brilliant! I can't get enough of listening to this album.
Do you hate getting up in the mornings? Me to. Listen to this and it'll cheer you up no end, but beware, you will be singing their songs all day - hey it could be worse you could be going around in a bad mood all day!! I listen to it when I get ready for work and in the car on the way to work.
It's an album that can be listened to all the way through from beginning to end. There's not a bad track on it!
If you're into pop, rock, alternative music, in fact listeners to most types of music would enjoy this album. I like it and i'm into stuff like The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Razorlight, Stereophonics. Even my 12 year old niece likes it ( who is into R&B!!!)
All I can say is that its a fantastic album and I would recommend it to anyone...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: catchiest album I've heard in a long time Disadvantages: their sound isnt really anything new
...influences. There ends the first half of the album, the big singles and singalongs half.
7. Dog in a Bag, probably the filler track on the album, still a sound song mind,
8. Creeping up the backstairs - the funkiest on the album, more of the same really.
9. Vince the loveable stoner, starts mellow gradually building into another big chorus.
10 Everybody knows you cried last night - my favourite song on the album.
11 Baby Fratelli - oh no another of those songs you've heard somewhere but don't know where. the guitar rift in this reminds me of a sped up smells like teen spirit.
12 Old Black and Blue Eyes the calm down song at the end of the album, a fitting closer.
Overall a very catchy album, okay so its nothing new, borrowing from britpop, glam and rock here and there, with a very 'current british indie band' sound to it...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Great fun sign-along-but-still-look-cool music Disadvantages: Not much depth, short album
...A very catchy album, but you would expect that from the band that wrote Chelsea Dagger, will have you singing outloud as you drive. Great songs about any subjext but you dont have to think about it too much, it is just good fun.
Annoyingly the album is a bit short, under 40 minutes but dont be scared to start it again straight away, it takes a very long time to get bored of this album which has some very funny lyrics.
Sadly the music has got very litle substance, if you dont mind that or if your a 12 year old then you should get Costellomusic. It has a lot of filler in there songs with a lot of "lalalala"s and "He said-she said-you said"s.
In short a very fun album, I love it but it is not the most thought provoking album out there....
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
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