Filed under: album review, new tracks, stream, upcoming | Tags: dancey, Franz Ferdinand, funky, indie, pop
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The way I feel about indie music is probably no secret & despite Franz Ferdinand paving the way for the majority of bands I loathe, I do have a soft spot for them. I do like their first two albums & I thought they were amazing live when I saw them in 2005.
Their third album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, is supposed to be a departure from the sound of the first two albums. With the use of synthesisers, the songs are less guitar-based & a lot more funky. On the whole, it is more of a ‘dancey’ album than a rock one. However, it is not that much of a departure; you would know it was them if you were familiar with the previous records. As Alex Kapranos (vocals) admitted in an interview with XFM: “We’re one of these bands that are always gonna sound the same no matter what we do”. It is pretty much the same catchy pop/indie, just with some electro thrown in. I have been rolling my eyes at the mainstream media hailing the return of electro-pop in Britain for 2009, but this album is (annoyingly) catchy.
I think the album is probably one that will grow on people. It took me a while to get into the first tracks I heard (‘Ulysses’ & ‘No You Girls’) but now I can’t stop singing them. Other stand out tracks are ‘Lucid Dreams’ (possibly my favourite track), the funky ‘What She Came For’ & ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’.
I wouldn’t say the album is better than the first two, as I do prefer rockier music to ‘dancey’, but sometimes you can’t beat a good dance around to catchy tunes. It’s not a record I’d necessarily rush out to buy, but it’s not something I’d turn off if it suddenly popped up on my iPod shuffle either.
The album is out on the 26th January, but you can hear the full album via MySpace right now!
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I wasn’t too sure about whether or not to have a listen to their new album, I like their Ulysses song but some of their other stuff in the past I found a bit dreary. I will definitely check it out though, thanks for posting.
Comment by Maddie January 23, 2009 @ 3:31 pmNo problem, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on it!
Comment by Sarah January 23, 2009 @ 11:08 pmI’ve found it as disappointing, and for the same reasons, as the Killers last album. More guitars please!
Comment by Chris Wright January 29, 2009 @ 6:24 amI know what you mean, I don’t understand why bands are moving away from guitars to electro.
Comment by Sarah January 31, 2009 @ 9:31 pmGreat album, loads of 70’s disco funk bass lines. I must admit I do prefer the alternative version of ‘Lucid Dreams’… sounds so typically Franz Ferdinand. By chance, the gig in 2005 of which you refer, was it one of the Alexander Palace gigs? I saw the 30 November gig and it’s still one of the best live shows I ever saw.
Comment by Gaz@NokiaMusic October 6, 2009 @ 10:22 am