Franz Ferdinand
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

THE REVIEW

On January 26, "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" was released, the third album by the Scottish band. Twelve tracks for about forty minutes. So, what's the big deal? Well, the "Franz Ferdinand" are once again garnering genuine acclaim after their self-titled debut album - hard to forget - and "You Could Have It So Much Better," which didn't quite achieve the same. To hell with the snobs: this time, it's not a concept album making waves, but a milestone and a partial (at last) maturation for the Archdukes.

Each track is at the same time an independent experience and part of the entire album: frantic guitars, syncopated bass, and dance rhythms alongside a new and conscious use of the synthesizer, making this record easily enjoyable but also rich in experiments and beautiful sounds. Opening with "Ulysses" and "No You Girls", the band delivers two hit-proof tracks that will get youngsters across Europe dancing during the 2009 tour (even the snobs). It continues with "Send Him Away", yet another confirmation that Franz Ferdinand is no longer just a dance band, but capable of surprising the listener with a bouncy folk tune. After the remarkable crescendo of "Bite Hard" and the tribal dance of "Can't Stop Feeling", comes "Lucid Dreams", with the frenzy and electronic experimentation (just a tad pretentious) of the last 3 minutes. Finally, "Katherine Kiss Me" - a guitar and voice piece closing the album - confirms the greater compositional awareness reached by leader Alex Kapranos.

Let's be clear, this is not an album with grand ambitions, nor is this the band that locks itself in the studio to produce the "great album"; it's precisely because of this that in its simplicity "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" is an excellent work. Records like this should certainly come out more often.