Brit-Pop Done Right

Costello Music (Interscope Records)

The Fratellis

By Kory Wilcoxson

Here's all you need to know about the Fratellis: the first single, "Flathead," from their debut album has been prominently featured in a commercial for iTunes. You know, the ones with the neon colors and the people who dance way better than you do.

The Fratellis inspire that kind of let-it-all-hang-out rug-cutting. While their music is far from mindless, the Fratellis, from the opening chords of "Henrietta," are inviting you to dance, not think. Their sound is a mish-mosh of all good things to come out of the UK, from the Beatles (you can hear their influence on "Whistle for the Choir") to the Clash to Oasis. In other words, this is Brit-pop done right.

Costello Music is one of those CDs that it's impossible to dislike. Songs like "Chelsea Dagger" and "Creepin' Up the Backstairs" are bursts of controlled three-sheets-to-the-wind chaos, as if the Fratellis were hell-bent on closing down the local pub on Friday night. That frenetic energy level is sustained for the duration of the 13 songs; you'll feel like you need a bottle of Gatorade and a nap after a straight-through listening. But because Costello Music is so enjoyable from start to finish, it will be the good kind of tired.

Visit www.thefratellis.com to find out for yourself.