Tonight: Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand Reviewed By : Tim Kernutt

With numerous hit singles and the "difficult second album" already under their thin leather belts, Franz Ferdinand’s success has granted them valuable artistic license. The reputed aim of latest record ‘Tonight: Franz Ferdinand’ is to take the band in a new, dancefloor-friendlier direction – but if the proof is in the playing, how have they managed?

Lead single ‘Ulysses’ starts the album with a bang. An atmospheric build-up exploding into a trademark jerking chorus, it is arguably the most Franz Ferdinand-sounding song of the album and reminiscent of classics ‘Take Me Out’ and ‘The Dark of the Matinee’. But as Alex Kapranos sings, "I've found a new way", you know this is a sign of tunes to come. This is perhaps best exemplified by ‘Lucid Dreams’, a track verging on electronica that resurrects the band’s early taste for synths. ‘Twilight Omens’ trips along beautifully, while ‘Live Alone’ sneaks along like a deliciously retro slinky on the stairs. Though fear not – the much-lauded ‘What She Came For’ is also exactly as good as everybody’s been saying.

For anyone tired of filler guitar bands, this album offers relief. Finally, a genuinely exciting fusion of electronica and indie that could be just what the doctor ordered to save the genre. 

8/10

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