 | Franz Ferdinand |
Full disclosure: among all of the rock/alternative albums released in the first half of this decade, Franz Ferdinand’s self-titled was one of my favorites. The album struck a chord with its rock foundation and punk and dance flourishes; while excellent singles like “Take Me Out”, “Darts of Pleasure”, and “Michael” were the obvious highlights, this sonic synthesis propelled tracks like “Jacqueline” and “Come on Home” and made their debut a winner.
Five years later, the group releases Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. Much has been made over the four year lay-off between this album and their second album, You Could Have It So Much Better, and how this provided opportunity for Franz Ferdinand to dabble with electronic influences. The flirtation with another genre is apparent on at least half the album, but this isn’t a radical, Kid A -like departure from their core sound. If you like the first two albums, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.
After spending some time with the new album, I think the bigger issue is the consistency in song writing. Once again, Franz Ferdinand have no problem writing terrific single. The first single from Tonight, “Ulysses”, lurches out of the gate with a similar beat to Spoon’s “I Turn My Camera On”, but whereas the latter goes for subtlety and a groove, “Ulysses” gets dark with low-end synth and jumps with a powerful chorus. As an opener, it seems like a statement of purpose that Franz Ferdinand might have acquired some new variations on their sound, but haven’t forgotten how to write a great song with a memorable hook (like a bear in hibernation, the “LAAAAA -La-la-la LAAAA” will remain in my mind cave for the rest of this winter.)
After the forgettable “Turn It On”, Franz Ferdinand returns to familiar territory on the excellent “No You Girls.” Nobody does sexy ennui and romantic ambiguity better than these guys, and the track strikes a great balance between rocking out and booty shaking musically and lyrically. Despite the familiar overall sound, it doesn’t sound redundant to their previous work, and I would think this would be the second single from Tonight.
The remainder of this album develops a slightly schizophrenic feel. This doesn’t necessarily equate to bad songs: Franz Ferdinand channel their British Godfathers’ spirit for more exotic rhythms on “Send Him Away”, and pull a page from Hot Chip’s “One Pure Thought” playbook with the transition to “Lucid Dreams’” extended outro. However, tracks like “Live Alone” or “Twilight Omens” attempt an abundance of twists that results in a claustrophobic atmosphere. Worst of all for Franz Ferdinand is that the clear effort behind this convergence of sounds runs counter to the effortless cool of their best songs.
Fortunately, like their previous albums, Tonight concludes with two excellent, slower-paced songs. “Dream Again” floats along with an ethereal feel that reminds me most of Starlight Mint’s “Zillion Eyes” and Radiohead’s “Subterranean Homesick Alien.” Franz Ferdinand closes with a highlight, the “No You Girls” reprise “Katherine Kiss Me”; it feels like a more everyday counterpoint to their inspirational “Eleanor Put Your Boots Back On.”
Much like Interpol’s Our Love To Admire, Tonight should please current fans, provided they’re not expecting to reach the continual highs of the debut album. This album demonstrates that Franz Ferdinand has the ability to produce great songs while concurrently evolving, but their inefficiency in this process results in a good album rather than a great one.
