Franz Ferdinand - Tonight (Domino)
4/5
By: Matt Tomiak
1. ULYSSES - A slinky bass riff and Alex Kapranos' coy, whispering lisp of a vocal - "I'm bored, let's get high" gives way to squelchy synths and a fabulously swaggering chorus; "you're not going home" he commands. An awesome curtain-raiser.
2. TURN IT ON - "If I can't have you then nobody can" sneers Alex over stop/start post-punk guitars a la Gang of Four.
3. NO YOU GIRLS - A close relative of the debut album's 'Matinee', this darkly seductive tune pays homage to the mysterious ways of the woman.
4. SEND HIM AWAY - Galloping drums and spooky Hammond organs form the backdrop to Alex's jealous pleas of "Won't you stay tonight?"
5. TWILIGHT OMENS - A twisted amalgam of The Beatles' 'Lovely Rita' and fellow Scots Travis' banjo-heavy 'Sing'.
6. BITE HARD - The Beatles connection continues as a wistful, McCartney-esque piano ballad transforms into a spiky New Wave rocker.
7. WHAT SHE CAME FOR - The erstwhile influence of Talking Heads returns to the fore as Alex provides his best David Byrne impression, demanding to know "Where do you see yourself in 5 minutes' time?" against a manic crescendo of wailing guitars.
8. LIVE ALONE - Indie discos beware: FF go nu-rave (almost) on this day-glo hued paean to domestic solitude. It sounds a bit like The Bloodhound Gang's 'The Bad Touch'. Really.
9. CAN'T STOP FEELING - Studied ennui abounds as Alex grumbles that "fun's not fun anymore" over something closely resembling the Seinfeld theme riff.
10. LUCID DREAMS - The track that prompts the most enquiries at the subsequent press conference, and with good reasons. A eight minute blockbuster that initially dogs its cap to both voguish Afrobeat via immense tribal drums and abrasive Sonic Youth dissonance eventually flips into a towering New Order-style House monster, kind of like 'Everything's Gone Green' on performance enhancing substances.
11. DREAM AGAIN - The penultimate number is an atmospheric mid-pacer advising "don't be afraid if you hear voices."
12. KATHERINE KISS ME - A sweet finale along the understated lines of The White Stripes' 'We're Gonna Be Friends'". "Do you ever wonder how the boy feels?" ponders Alex.
VERDICT: The electronic elements on Tonight do provide an intriguing new angle, but talk of a radical musical departure for Franz Ferdinand has been greatly exaggerated. It's unmistakably a FF record - sexy, stylish, and eminently danceable. Welcome back, fellas.
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