ALBUM: The Fratellis ‘Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied’

Rating:

Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied is the fourth album from The Fratellis.  And whoda thought the purveyors of one the most seminal student union anthems of the past decade would make it four albums?  Back in 2006 I purchased and loved their debut, Costello Music. But by the end of my freshers year I had taken to popping out for a smoke whenever the infamous tub thumper ‘Chelsea Dagger’ came on, mumbling to myself that they weren’t just a one trick pony, they had depth, and loads of other songs.

Fast forward to 2015 and rather than fade under the shadows of their own anthem, these Glasgow natives have channelled that delicious energy into a great album.  Tracing an arc through a series of late night Americana vibes, the result is music laced with a Cabaret feel.  Rather than the Club Noir of their roots, we find them in a more Las Vegas state of mind.  The sound of glitter covered in dirt, and chronologically a night out.

Tracks like ‘Me And The Devil’, ‘Imposters’ and ‘Slow’ have take in the expansive sounds of desert rock, the former a formidable choice of album opener.  With a stomping beat and a darkly euphoric chorus in the form of the occult-esque repetition of “I’m gonna sell this soul of mine”, if played through headphones this tune is sure to inspire a Richard Ashcroft-style journey to your destination.  Peppering these more contemplative tracks are songs practically riddled with neon lights and rhinestone thongs. ‘Baby Don’t You Lie To Me’, ‘Thief’, and ‘Too Much Wine’ bring the light to the shade with tales of devil women and salacious evenings, inviting us to “throw away your rights and wrongs”, and when it’s that catchy well why the hell not. My two stand out tracks hold two very individual vibes on the album. Showing a playful edge bordering on the side of experimental, ‘Rosanna’ takes the desert disco on a more Egyptian route, with to-die-for lyrical phrasing. The closer ‘Moonshine’ is a dazey, drunk little ballad, very much the bands’ ‘One For My Baby’, the last bastion of playful fun before this albums hangover sets in.

The Fratellis have always been masterful when it comes to a good hook, and this album is the perfect example.  But rather than the loutish chants of yesteryear, we hear a far slicker approach. The music seamlessly orchestrates from one style to the next, gently introducing the kind of musical phrases that infiltrate your brain for days after. Avoiding the electro dark arts, the album sounds different to a lot out there at the moment; raw, fresh and wise.  And the more you play it, the more you want to throw on some hot pants and a bit of fringing and go cause trouble on the strip.

An album to indulge your naughty side.

‘Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied’ is out now via Cooking Vinyl.

Kat Tittley
@LeTitts

Kate Tittley

Kate Tittley

When not making cocktails for Manchester's finest, Le Titts is most likely to be found the other side of the bar in a cloud of smoke and wine musing loudly over her fantasy band line up, love of the album format and why nothing is better than The Stone Roses. And then spilling the wine...Loving the ride with GigSlutz.
Kate Tittley

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