Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand – review

Corporate line: The third album from Glasgow-based modern rockers. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand sees them taking a step back from the Post-Punk revival sounds that gave them their breakthrough. With “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand,” the band are seen to incorporate more disparate influences such as Jamaican Dub and elements of Electronica. What remains of the old Franz Ferdinand is their knack for locating a danceable rhythm and their gentle, deadpan humor. The choice of Dan Carey as producer is in keeping with this new direction, the past credits of whose include CSS and Hot Chip.

The good:
“Turn It On” – Catchy track. Sadly that is all it is. It’s the usual Franz formula of sing chorus then repeat.

“No You Girls” – Slow, but cool verses, and when the chorus hits you can let yourself slip right into singing along as it engulfs you. This is easily the album’s best track.

The rest:
“Ulysses – “I’ve found a new way” and its too bad it sounds like the old way.

“Twilight Omens” – Interesting track that takes a lot of listens to acquire a taste for it.

“Bite Hard” – This is absolutely terrible. This should have been tossed a side.

“What She Came For” – Painfully boring.

“Lucid Dreams” – When the Verse sang about lucid dreams it was great, it just sucks here.

Frankly:
Franz Ferdinand sounds like they pulled out the old song writing playbook, blew off the dust and proceeded to play by the same rules. No risks. Nothing new. Hit snooze.