Album of the Week: Costello Music by the Fratellis

Costello Music - The Fratellis’ debut album from 2006. No need to take the album seriously, just enjoy the fun of listening to it. What makes it so entertaining for me is the lack of seriousness in the songs. There’s no pressure to think about anything, just scream the lyrics and dance.

Although a bunch of songs did well in the charts, such as ‘Chelsea Dagger’ and ‘Flathead’, the album received some harsh criticism. I mean, Pitchfork gave Costello Music a 5.5/10 and referred to the band as;

“Artless but amiable lunkheads with a knack for sloshed choruses and making cheap jokes out of bad spelling.”

OUCH. The reviews criticised the band for being immature and for their similarity to other bands that were also emerging at the time. In fact, the album came out the same year as Artic Monkey’s Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not, which was received as pure genius. The Fratellis were compared to them, seeing as both bands were in the Garage Rock/Indie Pop genre. And no, Costello Music is not ground-breaking, nor is it full of depth and skill, but that’s not something it was ever claiming it had.

At the time this album was released, the Fratellis were a three-man band. One lead singer playing the guitar, a bassist, and a drummer. Simple. But the lack of technicality that went into the production of the songs was heavily criticised. Jon Fratelli, the frontman of the band, has a very relaxed attitude about life. In interviews, his answer to the question of why he made certain career decisions was literally “Just because”. He claims the band has always made decisions based on instinct and initial reactions. There was rarely much thought going into any decision such as career choices, album recordings. It was often just “this feels right” or “this doesn’t”. Considering this, it’s not surprising that their debut album could turn out, “chaotic” as the critics have called it. Honestly, I think that this messy charm is part of what makes the album. The “overexcited choruses” and “predictable patterns” are what makes this such a good album. It is easy, it is predictable and it’s not ground-breaking music. It’s just plain fun.

Costello Music is the kind of music that if they were to perform in some random bar, everyone would lose their mind over it. The energy put into the album is contagious. The 13 songs have the kind of lyrics you have to shout, and the manic tempo of the drums make you want to slam imaginary drumsticks on whatever has the misfortune of being in front of you. It is impossible to stay still listening to this album. In fact, as I’m writing this in the SU, I’ve got Costello Music playing through my headphones and am genuinely dying to go back to my room, blast the songs and dance it out.

The album is made up of tales from drunken nights out in pubs and bars. Men looking for romance and finding it in strippers, meeting girls at concerts, fights outside of bars. Sex, drugs, and British pubs, basically. But they make it all just seem like harmless fun! The songs highlight what Jon Fratelli was saying about spur of the moment decisions, doing something on a whim and regretting poor choices later. No, the lyrics are not profound, they’re made up of easy rimes and dirty jokes. But it makes up such an exciting album.

The album starts with “Henrietta”, a woman the narrator thinks should leave her husband and run away with the band. Her life with him is miserable and they can provide her with entertainment. I think the fact that this is the first song of the album is quite fitting, it’s like an invitation for the listener to leave everything behind and enter a world of fun provided by the Fratellis. Accompanied by an energetic melody that really sets the tone for the rest of the album, The Fratellis invite you to join them in their fun and forget the rest.

“Creepin up the backstairs” is a light-hearted track about being young and sneaking out at night. The initial drum rhythm at the beginning of the song sounds like a fast-paced heartbeat which, when later accompanied by electric guitar, creates a progressive increase in intensity until it drops back down again and slowly rises to a crescendo. The rhythm really illustrates the rush of adrenaline and excitement of being young and sneaking around. It continues all the way through the song really depicting the excitement of this girl’s secret nightlife. Leaving her room via her window, taking her brother’s car to join her friends in bars and flirting with guys she meets there. To me, the song depicts being young and stupid in a cheerful and nonchalant way. It’s amusing, exciting and as always, full of energy.

My favourite song from the album changes every time I listen to it but currently, I’d say it’s ‘Cuntry Boys & City Girls’. Just like the rest of the album, it’s full of energy and non nonsensical lyrics such as ‘Ella was her name but now it is Rose. She’s got no fingers or toes, loses them everywhere that she goes”. The change in pace throughout the song is what I like the best. Some verses are sung like one endless word, whilst being accompanied by a whirlwind tempo. Which suddenly slows down only for you to catch your breath whilst trumpets are played like commas between verses. Before you know it, the electric guitar starts up again and you’re swooped back into a musical mosh pit just in time to shout out the next string of lyrics at the top of your lungs. This is the last song on the fun infused album, and it leaves you both drained and ready to play the whole thing again.

So, if you need to blow of some steam or take the pressure off for a bit, put on Costello Music and dance it out. Or, do it anyway “Just because”.

By Alice Charlton