Although “Creepin’ Up the Backstairs” had its own music video made to promote the Fratellis EP in early 2006, “Henrietta” was released as the band’s first official single a few months later, and was later placed as the opener on their debut album Costello Music. And for good reason, the first word the listener hears is a welcoming “Hello!” said by singer Jon Lawler before the track leaps into a disco-style groove accompanied by the standard guitars, bass, drums, and some distorted horns to give the sound an extra ‘oomph’.

Henrietta is a lady who the three members have grown quite attached to, and the song is something of a letter or a notice to try and get her attention. They are not the most romantic of people, and the comic self-deprecation shows that they don’t think too highly of themselves either. But in the end they know that they’ll be able to give a better time than her ‘animal’ husband. The band wish for her to leave him behind, and live with them at Costello Music – a place which I haven’t been able to locate, but led me to believe the phrase would be the title of the then forthcoming album.

All in all, the track does a great job as an album opener. It has the exciting, and welcoming tone that gives you an idea of what the band is all about and leaves you wanting more in the process.