The Beat Surrender

The Fratellis were one of those bands that demanded your attention as soon as they came on the radio, were played in a club or their videos came on one of the music channels…well at least first time around they were anywhere. The first thing I heard by them was Creeping Up The Backstairs and I was instantly hooked. The album, Costello Music didn’t let me down either, mixing 60’s style songwriting with an in yer face punk edge.

It’s never easy though following up such a successful album and especially when you are a relatively young band, do you stick with the winning formula and be accused of standing still creatively, or do you go for a bit of a change in direction and potentially risk alienting your audience and falling flat on your face?

Not an easy decision to make and listening to The Fratellis sophomore effort Here We Stand it sounds like they’ve gone for the latter and that it might have been a bit of bad decision if you ask me, erm not that they are I do understand that, but i’m putting my opinion out there anyway.

From the opening track My Friend John you can sense the change in the bands style, it might still contain their trademark racing guitars, but ultimately it’s a heavier sound than we are acustomed to from the band. A Heady Tale follows and one of my fellow car passenger’s comments “it’s got too many la la’s in it” and I have to agree. Shameless is the third song in and while it contains a good drum beat the overall feel is very pub rock.

Look Out Sunshine! falls down lyrically for me and the albums first high point doesn’t come until track five with the Beatles-esque strum along Stragglers Moon. Mistress Mabel the recent single follows and shows the band heading way too far into glam rock excess, Jesus Stole My Baby does pull things back nicely though, it’s a catchy song and I love the harmonica breakdown.

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