Franz Ferdinand
Tonight

Franz Ferdinand succeed in their intent with this third work as well, slightly veering off from the vintage sounds abundantly seasoned with guitars and rhythm of previous albums, yet remaining firmly anchored to their gourmet ingredients: the aforementioned rhythm, indeed, and musical atmospheres from a few decades ago.

Months ago, they said they were inspired by African music for this "Tonight". Apparently, they changed their minds, or the journalists misreported their statements. It seems they were more inspired by funky sounds than by true African music, and perhaps that's a good thing. Not that funky and the glittering disco of the '70s are new to them, having already given us a couple of songs in this direction in past years. What, anyway, captures our attention during the listening of "Tonight" is the rhythm, which has gained even greater importance than in the past, whether it's supported by the usual drums or the electronic drum creating very intriguing dance cadences, as intriguing as the melodies, catchy and cunning, but not necessarily banal because of that. 

Electronics also reveal themselves through the extensive use of synthesizers, strictly vintage and maybe found in some forgotten basement. The opening track, "Ulysses", as well as the lead single, reveals the changes that have taken place. The electric guitars, usually present and loud, retreat into the background, giving way to raw and ringing electronic sounds. Then we continue with two songs typical of this group's melodies, carefree and seasoned with light lyrics as usual, just as the singer's voice is always joyful. "Send him away" and the following "Twilight omen" spice up the usual mix with a sprinkle of vaguely psychedelic sounds with the recurring appearance of a recurring motif in both. Also noteworthy is "What she came for", a track with an almost rudimentary structure but one to shout out loud in unison, maybe during the concert. 

We talked about dance atmospheres and here they make their appearance again in "Live alone", a leap into the '80s before resurfacing with the elaborate "Lucid dreams", ending with a long tail of more than 3 minutes of raw electronic. The album then concludes abruptly with the short "Katherine kiss me", a very simple acoustic track, halfway between Lou Reed's intimate singing and the Beatles. 

For those who purchased the deluxe edition of the album, we can't help but spend a few words on the bonus CD, which contains 8 remixes of as many songs from the album, notable for the originality of the remixing work. To be honest, they don't differ too much from the original tracks, very rhythmic in themselves, but they are appealing even for those who don't appreciate this kind of music. The vintage flavor is, as always, intact.

So, in conclusion, Franz Ferdinand offer us their usual clever and entertaining product, almost an exercise in style given the technical expertise with which they sing and play and the almost absent content value of the lyrics. Girls, dancing, fun, and more girls. We can summarize in this way the topics they touch on, which nevertheless perfectly match the music they propose. In short, "Tonight" offers 43 minutes of fun and carefree enjoyment excellently packaged, leaving us hopeful for new and surprising evolutions from this Scottish group.