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Rating: The Franz Ferdinand, it was clear from the first album, had clear ideas about what kind of music to make, and it was evident that they wrote music to have fun, and they were not fools. Two years later, this album was released, which is certainly the confirmation of their great musical ability.
Franz Ferdinand decided to do what the Beatles did in the distant past, to unite music, art, and fashion. The latter because during the concerts they dress very casually, a bit like the '60s, and just like the Beatles did, in Scotland people dress like them. Art because they shoot videos with many cinematic references (The video of "Walk Away" echoes a bit of Orson Wells and Hitchcock) but also from the point of view of art history (the video of "Do You Want To" is shot in a famous modern art museum, and the album cover reprises a propaganda ad for Communist Russia). Music, however, is the common thread of these two things, allowing Franz Ferdinand to showcase their fashion and cinematic culture.
It has been said and repeated that Franz Ferdinand resembles the Beatles, which was quite right for the first album, but in this one they prove to know how to mix all the typical Beatles sound and create their own style, very indie, but also very original. The album presents us with songs very similar to each other like "The Fallen" and "Do You Want To," which are the two indie Britpop songs of the album, but also excellent ballads like "Eleanor, Put Your Boots Back On" and "Fade Together". The other songs are all very similar, with a very fast and catchy rhythm and a very simple sound without electronic instruments. "Walk Away" is the only flaw of the album, a bit too pop rock, but it remains an excellent track given the beauty of the lyrics. "The Outsiders" is the most peculiar song, very similar to "This Fire" by being somewhat foreign to the album, and it features a very asserted and well-constructed guitar riff. The title track is the piece that unites all the various sounds of the album and creates a new product, fast but not too much, and a great marching melody with a beautiful guitar solo of excellent craftsmanship.
The album is an orderly mix of simple sounds, easy-to-listen and dance melodies because that's what Franz wants, to make us dance and go crazy for their music that's not too difficult to understand. A second album better than the first, which shows us the new Beatles in their prime.
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