(Island/Universal)

More hyperactive glam-fuelled pub pop from spirited Glaswegians

2006 debut album Costello Music provided quick success for The Fratellis, its beery glam rock, chantalong choruses and classic Britpop hooks a magnet for Saturday night hedonists and car commercials alike. The group re-emerges with if-it-ain’t-broke follow-up Here We Stand, with another collection of user-friendly hooks (courtesy Shameless and Mistress Mabel), big hearty riffs and no shortage of caustic, witty storytelling. A look at a Fratellis lyric sheet is an entertaining experience, as their words can be overshadowed by the infectious bounce of the music – yet there’s a skilfully-disguised wordiness to The Fratellis that is a refreshing antidote to the empty-headed repetition of much chart fare. Hence, the narrator receives relationship advice while lying in a gutter in Acid Jazz Singer. Jon Fratelli continues to write tunes that possess substance, yet continue to suit the group’s cartoonish, pop-culture-embracing aesthetic. High profile mixing engineer Tom Lord Alge buffs the songs to solid, satisfying perfection and the group’s infectious energy remains undiminished.

***˝

MATT THROWER

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