Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
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Music Reviews of Franz Ferdinand
Music Review: Excellent Debut Album from Scottish Rockers
Rating: 4 Stars
After last year's very promising "Darts of Pleasure" EP, Franz Ferdinand now hits the big time with the release of their debut album. The band's sound invites comparisons to the Strokes and Interpol, but comes away very nicely with its own sound."Franz Ferdinand" (11 tracks, 38 min.) starts off very misleadingly, albeit beautifully, with a very soft 45 sec. intro to "Jacqueline", with just guitar and vocals, only to then explode into the full band sound, setting the stage for the entire album. Lead-singer Alex Kapranos is very confident, without sneering. Stand-out tracks include the Hot Hot Heat-ish "Tell Her Tonite" (which appeared in demo-version on the "Darts" EP), and "Take me Out" (2nd single), which is the best song here, period, and rocks irresistably. Others include "The Dark of the Matinee" (3rd single), "Come on Home" (with even some synths up front), and "Michael" (set for release in July as the 4th single in the UK). In reality, there really are only a couple of less-than-stellar songs, such as "This Fire".
Franz Ferdinand has ascended very quickly to the musical top in the UK in the past year, not unlike the Darkess, but are in my opinion far the better of the Darkness. I can't wait to see these guys live at some point. Meanwhile, this album is not leaving my CD changer any time soon!
PS IF you were wondering about the band's name, FF was the Austrian duke whose murder was the immediate cause of the beginning of WWI...
Music Review: Awesome CD
Rating: 5 Stars
Well I love this CD. It is one of the very few I listen to heavily. Here is my track by track analysis:
1. Jaqueline 9/10. I love the soft opening intro. The second part of the song is catchy too, but gets a bit repetitive by the end.
2. Tell her Tonight 8/10: One of the weaker songs IMO. I don't believe the main singer sings this song, and it shows.
3. Take me Out 10/10. Awesome catchy song I can't get enough of!
4. The Dark of the Matinee: 11/10. My favorite song! Fun to sing along with, dance to, and listen to. Be sure to check out the music video too, its on launch radio.
5. Auf Asche: 9/10. good song, not great, but again, I never skip it.
6. Cheating on her: 9/10 Catchy, fun, song, but they have better
7. This fire: 7/10. My least favorite song. The only one I generally skip
8: Darts of Pleasure 10/10. I love this song! The singer does really cool things with his voice.
9. Michael: 10/10. This song took a while to grow on me, but now I really like it. It has some crazy guitar work, and all in all is a very, well, frenetic song. The lyrics are hilarious (though they may offend some.)
10. Come on Home: 10/10. This is a great song. A little more subdued than others, but awesome just the same.
11. 40': 9/10. A good ending song. Doesn't make you think FF just threw it in there to end the album. A stand alone song in its own right.
So all in all, a great album. BUY IT NOW! ;)
Music Review: Big Review
Rating: 4 Stars
Here I am a major new wave fan who loves The Church, Simple Minds, Human League, Psychedelic Furs, Flock of Seagulls, etc. And here is a new album with an intriguing sound. Both singles are very catchy and ear candy: Take Me Out and Darts of Pleasure, especially when the first changes into uptempo, and the latter hits the german sung ending. The Dark of the Matinee and the fire song whic title isnt coming to mind sorry, are also very good. But I personally love "Tell Her Tonight" and in my mind the awesome "Auf Asche" There are other good ones and some fair also here, and overrall it is an excellent album. With all the new bands coming in I need to mention I am trying to start a new wave band, synthesizer laden labyrinths, enchnating vocals, etc. The problem is I'm only singer (think Steve Kilbey of The Church meets Phil Oakley of Human League) and a songwriter. I have written several lyrics, and all of which are very intelligent and meaningful. I am not a braggart at all, and actually am quite the opposite. I am a dreamer though trying to make it with ambition, and hoping to find a break somewhere. If you would like to view some of my lrics or are interested at all in what I've said please respond. If not I understand, for my attempt here is somewhat unique. Thank you. Here's a small sample of some of lyricism:from the song "Stained Glass"
"Sunshine runs through her touch/like the golden age in her hands/opening up the whole world/but what if it unravels in strands?"
Music Review: Frenetic, herky-perky pop that rocks!!
Rating: 4 Stars
VOOP!VOOP!VOOP!VOOP! over and over! That BEAT! It's insistent! And that makes a great pop song - insistence! Franz Ferdinand have managed to spread it successfully over two albums now, but I prefer this, their debut, because the songs sound the most alike, and that's actually a strength in this kind of music! I don't want a slower song or some experimental new sounds breaking up the VOOPS! However, their second album is great, too. This first one is just more FUN due to the VOOP quotient! (I can see it now: review not helpful, in droves...) It seems that Franz Ferdinand have spawned or are a part of a movement of similar bands: Kaiser Chiefs, Hot Hot Heat, The Killers, The Futureheads, Bloc Party (the BEST of the lot!)...They are all really good bands even though they share some of the same sounds. If you like ANY of these bands, you simply MUST check out the albums that influenced them the most, and are equally great (or better!) albums: DRUMS N WIRES(1979) by XTC (also check out WHITE MUSIC(1977) by XTC, but DRUMS N WIRES is the best of the two - a 5 star classic!) and ENTERTAINMENT!(1979)by GANG OF FOUR. The latter is a bit more raw and harsh (with political lyrics) and that GANG OF FOUR style of guitar playing came from John Lennon's playing on the 1970 song, I FOUND OUT, on the album, PLASTIC ONO BAND, if anyone wonders! Anyway, if you love Franz Ferdinand of any of the other bands I mentioned, you'll love the albums I mentioned, especially DRUMS N WIRES! And vice versa, you XTC fans!
Music Review: World Class Fad
Rating: 2 Stars
These guys are relatively proficient at sounding like a cheap rip-off of XTC circa 1981, but how does this equal the next big thing? This is all part of the Strokes-inspired wave of nostalgia for the 1980's that is getting more airplay than any "alternative" music has for a long while. It was great in 1981, but do we need a blow-by-blow repeat almost twenty-five years later? What's next, a Vapors cover band at No. 1? A tribute to Bow Wow Wow? How about Kajagoogoo? Throw Franz Ferdinand in with the Killers (a Talk Talk copy) and the bevy of other knock-offs and witness the next generation of bands that will be overflowing in the used bins for the next five years until everyone forgets they ever existed.
I should have known better than to buy this. I really tried to give it a chance. But after six or so listens this one is no longer allowed to blemish my record collection. In the words of the immortal Paul Westerberg: "You weren't that bad/ being a world-class fad./ Just remember where you come from." Maybe if they make their guitars sound like bagpipes like their infinitely-more-inspired fellow Scots Big Country, they'll be an even better world class fad.
P.S.--The only truly wonderful band to come from this 80's nostalgia trip are the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They take influences (e.g. SY, Siouxsie, Birthday Party) like these other poseurs, but actually manage to sound like THEMSELVES and like they actually WANT TO BE ORIGINAL unlike the rest of this brat-pack. Novel concept.