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Here We Stand

by The Fratellis

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In spite--or perhaps because of--being written off by many critics as a commercial pub-rock outfit, Glaswegian band The Fratellis have managed to procure themselves a fairly prodigious fan base. Their catchy songs, gigantic hooks and good-time lyrics have earned the band an army of fans keen to indulge in a bawdy sing-a-long. If the trend-setting press were tough on the band’s 2006 debut Costello Music though, The Fratelli’s weren’t listening. Here We Stand continues pretty much where that album left off, although it could be argued that a lot of the charm of their first album has disappeared. The clanging rock riffs of songs like "Shameless", "Mistress Mabel" and "Acid Jazz Singer" show the band in typically ribald form, while "Tell Me A Lie" and "A Heady Tale" attempt to revive the big-haired rocker spirit of 70s acts like Slade and Status Quo. Infectious as some of this material is, Here We Stand somehow doesn’t capture the same cocky joie de vivre that made Costello Music so much fun. At the same time, it’s refreshing to hear a band so determined to do their own thing and have a good time--no matter what the critics say.--Danny McKenna