Oh brother, Fratellis are fun

There’s something refreshing about rock ’n’ roll without gimmicks.
True, the Scottish lads who comprise the Fratellis have each adopted their band moniker as a fake surname: a way of pledging their brotherly allegiance to one another (“fratelli” translates into brother in Italian). But if you overlook that silliness - and, yes, it worked for the Ramones - the Fratellis are surprisingly straightforward pub-rockers who aren’t interested in shoving idiosyncrasies down anyone’s throat or trying to out-weird their peers. Really, they’re just about having fun and playing music. Loud.
At the Paradise on Wednesday, the brothers-in-arms showcased tunes from their 2007 debut “Costello Show” and the just-released “Here We Stand” to an enthused full house. “Mistress Mabel,” a recent UK single that rocks with force and abandon, made the main distinction between the old and the new songs clear: lots of piano. Indeed, to properly play material from “Here We Stand,” the trio needed to employ a fourth Fratelli, Will, to tour with them and play keyboards. He did so with gusto, banging away at his upright with Jerry Lee Lewis-like fervor.



The addition of piano rounded out the barroom flair at the core of the Fratellis sound and enhanced such new tunes as “A Heady Tale,” “Acid Jazz Singer” and “Look Out Sunshine.” The older, familiar tracks such as “Henrietta,” “Got Ma Nuts From a Hippy” and “Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night” referenced the Fratellis numerous British influences, among them T. Rex, Slade, the Kinks and even early Pink Floyd by ways of bits of funky psychedelia and shifting time signatures.
With his curls strewn in ringlets around his face, frontman John (Lawler) Fratelli projected a confident cockiness more boyishly charming than obnoxious. His voice was reminiscent of Oasis’ Liam Gallagher’s, complete with nasal tint and a slight rasp that sounded nigh-perfect set against the driving rhythm section of Barry (Wallace) Fratellis’ bass and Mince (Gordon McRory) Fratellis’ frantic drumming.
The nonstop barrage of memorable riffs and sing-along choruses kept the crowd hooked throughout. “Flathead,” made famous through its use in iPod and iTunes ads, and the pogo-worthy “Chelsea Dagger” were particularly well received.
In the end, the Fratellis lack the in-your-face individualism needed to make a lasting impression in this attention-span-challenged age. But the band’s blend of punky energy and old-timey influences provided an above average, cleverly penned soundtrack for a sweaty summertime bar scene. Nothing wrong with that
THE FRATELLIS
At the Paradise, Wednesday night.