The Fratellis had already been around the block, and the Scottish fairgrounds where they met, before Chelsea Dagger gave them a year near the top. If you hated the Britpop bounce of that wild girl’s tale, then not much on new latest album Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied will change your mind.
Nine years on, their old hit-making producer Tony Hoffer has returned, whisked them to LA and slapped vintage synths on everything – to mostly wincing effect. It works on Baby Don’t You Lie To Me, a monster mash-up of 70s Top Of The Pops choruses from The Sweet to The Knack with a glam-boogie groove. Me And The Devil is more typical of flailing experiments which outstay their welcome.
Between them this lot are fans of Dylan, Strummer and Slayer but, a decade in, still lack an identity beyond the decent Glaswegian doggedness that has got them this far./o:p
