Album Review: The Fratellis – We Need Medicine
3 min read
You’re reading right, folks! The Fratellis are back! It’s been five grueling years since we’ve heard the rocking sounds of the Glasgow-based boys. Produced and mixed by Jon Fratellis and Stuart McCredie and recorded in Glasgow’s West End, We Need Medicine is the band’s third album released through BMG Records. We’ve already got a first taste of the upcoming album with it’s first single Seven Days Seven Nights, which came out in September, but this appetizer was too much of a tease and listeners are sure to be blown out of the water once they have their full course of We Need Medicine.
Despite disappearing for almost a decade, The Fratellis have always lingered in our minds, and showed just how relevant they still were with their sold out tour in the UK earlier this year. Getting revved up for another UK tour in November with their new material, this long awaited act is sure to sell out again.
The Fratellis have never been shy of success with their humble beginnings consisting of their debut album Costello Music selling over a million copies, reaching #2 at the UK Album Charts and earning them the title of Best Breakthrough Act at the BRIT Awards in 2007. By their second album the band solidified their status by winning the prestigious Best British Band at the 33rd Silver Clef Awards. This band has always been a big deal, and after only two studio albums have already received more success than most acts can ever dream of.
The evolution of the band’s sound has led them to the bluesy, rockabilly tunes of We Need Medicine. A showdown is kicked off with Halloween Blues, the first track of the album. The country twang is tweaked slightly with a distorted guitar and when combined with a rumbling drum roll, it sets off an image of a midday cowboy shoot off. Before the lyrics even start, you get a taste of what the rest of the album is going to be like.
The western theme is continued and brought into a more rockabilly jive with songs like This Old Ghost Town and Until She Saves My Soul. We’ve seen the fight, but now it’s time to relax, have some fun and dance a little. With the jumping beats, infectious guitar riff and a sprightly piano accompaniment of This Old Ghost Town and the zesty duet of the piano and guitar in Until She Saves My Soul, you won’t want to stop dancing.
And what would the Fratellis be like without femme fatales being the focal point of songs? Some of their classics such as Henrietta and Chelsea Dagger have displayed some badass women, and songs like She’s Not Gone Yet and Jeanie Nitro bring you back to the good ol’ days of Costello Music.
But We Need Medicine isn’t all fun and games, there’s still room for a slow dance or a deep and meaningful moment with Rock n Roll Will Break Your Heart and This Is Not The End Of The World. Slow songs don’t always have to be so boring, and when it’s by The Fratellis you know it’d still be as captivating as the rest of the album. This Is Not The End of The World gets you off your feet with moving lyrics and Rock n Roll Will break Your Heart is beautifully arranged with a simple beat and delicate guitar riff that carries the song.
This is an album that you have to listen to from beginning to end. There’s no couple of songs that are the end all be all, every single track comes together, grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go until you’re all alone humming along to its tunes hours after you first picked up the album. We Need Medicine is a great comeback from such a long hiatus and we hope The Fratellis are here to stay.
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