Not unlike The Arctic Monkeys, The Fratellis gained a good bit of their promo-motion without any help from a record label. Vaunted by myspace and the like, this trio of Glaswegians have unleashed a debut that will at the very least put a lot of pressure on the band to record a quality follow-up. Costello music is immediately accessible indie pop, hook-laden (sometimes several per song) and glued together by lots of tra la las and dum dee dum breaks that mirror the verses or choruses. They will no doubt be criticized for being derivative, but the bands they borrow from are as so varied (Kinks, T Rex, Beatles circa '65 all the way to Libertines, Kaiser Chiefs, Supergrass, Futureheads, The Redwalls. Personally I really enjoy the infectious songwriting, rowdy, bouncy anthems centered around deadbeats, losers, has-beens, dodgy birds, sluts, heartbreakers. All of which are drawn with self deprecating lyrics that spread the blame around liberally. They also play the racey card like Louis the 14th does, and I've even heard them compared to The Monkees and Hermits Hermits, which is awfully facile but has a kernel of truth. The thing that makes the record really work is that they bring their own raucous novelty to all this.

My biggest gripe with the record it that it gets pretty homogenous, but the expert production of Tony Hoffer manages to mix things up well enough to keep this complaint in the minor column. Track 4 "Whistle For the Choir" changes things up into a mid-tempo Mersey beat broken heart lament that speaks to the depth of Jon Fratelli's songwriting talent. His insouciant John Lennon delivery is the cherry on top of the whole tasty thing. As for matters of nepotism, the boys in their band are not related and as for the rumors, yes they are homely. Supergrass homely? Not quite, but they're not attractive. The future of the band lies in whether or not they can match the Futureheads and record a second album that matches the undeniable quality and fun of their debut. My guess is yes. Time will tell.