The Fratellis — Here We Stand

This Glasgow, Scotland trio's Costello Music debut earned a 2007 Brit Award for best British breakthrough act and, even more impressively, was my favourite album last year. This self-produced follow-up lacks the end-to-end insanely catchy hooks of its predecessor, but you'll still be hard-pressed to find better pop-rock albums this year. Lead single "Mistress Mabel" should grab your ears, and there's a lot more here to keep them from straying. Opener "My Friend John" is a slightly psychedelic rocker, there's a bit of a honky-tonk vibe in parts of "A Heady Tale" and "Baby Doll" is a more acoustic-oriented pop tune. You'll hear The Beatles in "Lupe Brown" and "Tell Me A Lie" harkens back to the debut, but with a touch of classic rock. The Fratellis won't benefit from the exposure of having a song used in a ubiquitous iTunes commercial like they did with "Flathead" last year, but Here We Stand should hopefully have firm enough footing that it won't need a boost like that to land in music lovers' iPods.

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