A few years ago I was cruising the net as is my wont, looking for something maybe a little different from the headbanging stuff that I love but still maintaining a bit of attitude and sense of rockin’ spirit when I stumbled onto a YouTube link for “Acid Jazz Singer” and immediately found my next fave new band.  Kicking off as a bit of an acoustic campfire strummer, the song adds some rock stomp with the addition of bass and drums and some cool lead guitar touches before segueing into a dead on killer, boozy singalong chorus that sounds like a mix of The Kinks’ music hall pomp, a bit of Slade cum AC/DC swagger, and the songsmithery of a T Rex.  All in all, one incredibly fun ditty but what about the rest of their tunes?

Well, you’re in luck because this Scottish band has plenty stretched out across four great albums (with a fifth on the way) chock full of catchy tunes that stretch from acoustic based ditties to solid rock with plenty of great choruses and singalong bits.  The Fratellis were formed in 2005, led by lead singer/guitarist and main songwriter Jon Fratelli and backed by bassist Barry Fratelli and drummer Mince Fratelli (not their real names, but hey, it worked for The Ramones!) and soon released their intro disc Costello Music in 2006 which featured the incredibly fun ‘n swingin’ “Chelsea Dagger”, a song now ubiquitous at various worldwide sporting events do to its bootstomp and fun “doo doo doot” singalong bits, kind of like an updated “Rock And Roll, Part II” for a newer generation.  The rest of Costello Music features other catchy material like intro rocker “Henrietta”, the laid back strummer “Whistle For The Choir”, the fast and punky “The Gutterati?”, the 60’s garage rock vibe of “Doginabag”, and country glam (seriously!) of “Vince The Loveable Stoner”.  The whole album feels like a mashup of 60s/70s bands mixed with newer artists of the same ilk like the Dropkick Murphys and Jack White-  just a batch of fun tunes with straightforward riffs, catchy singalong bits, often funny lyrics, and good time rock sure to bring a smile to your face.

But wait a minute…  what about the other three albums?  Well, if you liked Costello Music you’re sure to like the next one just as much.  Here We Stand maybe dials back the in your face production just a tad but still includes killer cuts like the aforementioned “Acid Jazz Singer” and other goodies such as straight ahead burners like “Mistress Mabel” and “My Friend John”, the fuzz rock of “Shameless”, the dangerous bluesy swing of “Stragglers Moon”, the beautifully melodic “Babydoll”, and the Scottish jig and grandeur of “Lupe Brown”.  An album just as good as the debut that doesn’t change up the song formula but adds a few new wrinkles in instrumentation and different melodies, maybe surpassing it in levels of confidence but falling slightly short when it comes to loose and rollicking fun.  Still, a very very good album.

Shortly after the touring cycle ended for Here We Stand the band went on hiatus as the guys explored other creative outlets but eventually reformed in 2012 for next album We Need Medicine, which continued the Fratelli formula of fun singalong rock and roll.  Like its predecessor, Medicine sounds like a confident and veteran rock band willing to fall into a solid groove and let the song speak for itself but unlike Costello Music the production is not as open and swinging as that boisterous debut. Still, Medicine has a number of wonderful songs as well:  the rowdy singalong of the title cut, the raucous stomp of “Halloween Blues”, the almost Springsteenesque/Van Morrison rumble through “This Old Ghost Town”, the twangy swing of “Seven Nights Seven Days”, the stomp of “Shotgun Shoes”, and laid back ruminations of “Rock N Roll Will Break Your Heart”.  While the production here and on Here We Stand loses that pop and sizzle feel of the debut, I guarantee a number of these cuts would sound just as killer in a live environment.  All the elements of great songwriting are definitely there and even moreso as Jon Fratelli continues to paint different tapestries from one album to the next.

As for Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied…  sorry, haven’t heard it yet and can’t weigh in.  I’ve caught bits and pieces of it and what I’ve heard continues to expand the Fratelli brand, maybe a bit more singer/songwriter than the rest of the catalog but still with those catchy singalong moments that gets your foot tappin’.  Without having fully listened to the album I can’t vouch for how good it is, but from what I’ve sampled it covers a fairly wide swath of sonics, from funk to keyboard samples to different guitar tones throughout all eleven cuts.  Certainly the album appears to brave some newer atmospherics while retaining that original vibe, all in an attempt to stretch out creatively without reinventing the wheel.  And with new album In Your Own Sweet Time on the horizon I’m sure the band will continue to build on that sonic spectrum and we’ll have another great batch of tunes.

So yeah, hit up iTunes or Amazon and do some sampling of this band’s material right now and enjoy!  Touring the States this year as well, so go support them live if you can.