FFS
FFS

The first album by FFS has been released. The who? The FFS, silly, a supergroup born from the collaboration between Sparks and Franz Ferdinand. And the who!? Have Ron and Russell completely lost it? I mean, "Lil' Beethoven" and "Hello Young Lovers" already showed signs of overcooked boiling, then they redeemed themselves with "Exotic Creatures Of The Deep," so let's see where this leads to, and as for these Franz Ferdinand, I have no strong feelings for or against them, I barely recall a single that was playing about ten years ago, nothing more; the curious thing is I had no opinion on Franz Ferdinand before listening to this album, and I still don't now. It could have been better, it could have been much worse; as a Sparks album, it's a decent effort and nothing more, it doesn't compare to "Balls" or "Exotic Creatures Of The Deep," perhaps it could be compared to "Big Beat"; let's not even mention certain past delights, please.

To put it very clearly, this is a Sparks album 100%, regarding the Austrian Franz Ferdinand, there are two hypotheses: either they were specifically recruited for mere support work, as a backing band in other words, or they were completely overshadowed by the personalities of the fleurs du Mael: Russell takes charge, accompanied by some backing vocals here and there (not that I mind, quite the opposite...), and in terms of sound, there's no significant external influence, "FFS" is a mix (or a platter of boiled meats... no, it's not that bad in the end) of old ideas and old sounds made in Sparks, simply. So, this so-called "supergroup operation" is nothing more than a clever gimmick to create some hype and get known by a young audience, it seems to me really a Pulcinella's secret, and as a young person myself (maybe a bit old inside, but still young), in the end, I understand them and have no complaints; certainly, for me, Sparks are something else entirely, but that's another story. For those who know R&R, this album is a pre-cooked porridge, often enjoyable but (with a single exception) never surprising. Some tracks vaguely remind of a "Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins" with guitars, which is not bad at all, especially "Johnny Delusional" and "Call Girl", others like "Dictator's Son" and "Save Me From Myself" are simply stuff from a tribute band, then a handful of good ideas expressed without particular zest and energy: an example par excellence? "Collaborations Don't Work", never was a title more apt. I notice a general flattening, and age is only partially to blame since 2009's "Exotic Creatures Of The Deep" offered a whole different verve and creativity; after the relative pleasantness of the first two listens, little remains, all things considered, a half-disappointment. "So drink Danny drink 'til you can drink no more..." mmh, all things considered, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Lifting the average a bit is the hilarious "Police Encounters", which vaguely echoes the ancient seventies glories, and especially "Little Guy From The Suburbs": I was saying this album never manages to surprise except for a single exception, here it is. Taken alone, this song has more personality and depth than the rest of the album, a slow, enveloping, melancholic piece, decidedly un-Sparks-like; electronics and an acoustic guitar, impeccable melody, and a bitter, cynical mood, "No heroes, just those who care more for their legend than their life, there are no heroes in this life". And this applies to Ron and Russell too, with their genius and their flaws, and all things considered, I would say that as a career finale it's not that terrible, many have had it much worse; for those who want to get to know modern Sparks, I still recommend: "Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins," "Balls" (a very underrated album), and "Exotic Creatures Of The Deep," then eventually comes this one. As a presumptuous ignoramus, I would dare to state that for Franz Ferdinand, this is an unattainable magnum opus, so if you love them, don't miss it, certain "blessings" don't happen to everyone.