blackleatherbookshelf | Entries tagged with franz ferdinand

Swing To The Right
4 Out of 5 Stars

For their fourth CD, Franz Ferdinand rejuvenate themselves for "Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions." "Tonight" was a more introspective affair, and allegedly a concept album about a day in the fife of the Ferds. Not this time. RTRWRA pulls out the choppy guitars and funky drums and bass of the first two albums. "Come home, practically all is nearly forgiven," they invite right off the bat. Which is classic FF. Maybe you fell off the bandwagon for "Tonight," but that's not their fault. Get back on board and enjoy the ride, just as long as you remember who's doing the driving.

The destination is a party on the Ferd's terms. You'll get it from the fuzzy guitars on "Love Illumination" or the ripeness of the semi-psychedelic "Fresh Strawberries" (one of my faves on the disc), dance to Chic pound of "Evil Eye." Or you can wonder what they are saying to you as a fan as they demand that you skip the pop music and "don't wear bright colors, you know I hate bright colors," as they wish "Goodbye Lovers and Friends."

The over the top Alex Kapranos snarls and brags across RTRWRA's 10 songs, with nearly relentless energy. Fell how insistently he commands you on "Treason! Animals!" or the title track "Right Action." They do throw in a couple of change ups, like the synth heavy "Brief Encounters," which sounds like it would have been at home on "Tonight," or the only self-effacing track on the album, the still dance heavy "Stand On The Horizon."

"Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action" is a fine return to form for Franz Ferdinand. If you're looking for the sort of awakening pop punch of the debut or "You Could Have It So Much Better," you'll find it here.

Current Mood: apathetic
Current Location: Philadelphia
Current Music: "Fresh Strawberries" Franz Ferdinand

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Current Mood: blank
Current Location: Philadelphia
Current Music: "Fresh Strawberries" Franz Ferdinand

Tonight and the Morning After
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Alleged to be a concept album about a hard party of a night and the following morning, Franz Ferdinand attempt to shift direction on their third album. "You're never going home," they belt on the opening salvo, "Ulysses." Offering their usual angular guitar attack on top of some squiggly synth lines, it's their call to being ready to party. They try to pick up the ladies ("No You Girls"), get a spot on the dance floor (the electronically extended "Lucid Dreams") and realize that it's all been a waste of time ("Katherine Kiss Me," which sounds like an apology to "No You Girls"). It's Franz Ferdinand's most ambitious album so far.

It's not just a boy's night out, as the longing for "Katherine" shoes. They switch to the ladies' point of view for disco-fied "What She Came For." Franz frontman Alex Kapranos lets go of the hedonist inside to let the woman try and hit on him, then lets loose with a kicking deceivingly not-disco guitar solo. That doesn't stop the band from nudging the dance floor, especially on the following track "Live Alone." The big switch is that the crunchy guitars that made "Take Me Out" or "Do You Want To" from the previous album are strapped to throbbing basses and slinky keyboards.

Not every band gets to try this bold a maneuver, but the Ferds pull it off neatly. Fans of the group's guitar based albums might be put off, but repeat listens reward the patient. "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" makes the case the FF remain a band to pay attention to.