Perhaps more than ever these days, a successful indie band's third album can be a case of make or break. They have the NME and a large and an apparently loyal fanbase on their side, but have to choose from one of the following: a) a ground-breaking, exeperimental approach that will satisfy the critics demanding a bold sonic challenge or: b) more of the same once again, keeping the fans happy who've travelled this far with them, but not picking up many new passengers and also leaving the door open for the tastemakers to bring them down a good few pegs.
So, depending how you look at it, FRANZ FERDINAND are either in an enviable or precarious position as their third album 'Tonight' emerges into the brittle daylight of a recession-hit pop world. They have a wunderkind producer (Dan Carey, of CSS and Hot Chip fame) manning the console and the anticipation of the public wishing them well, but which way will they jump?
It's the big question, but 'Tonight' fails to supply a clear-cut answer, for all its' apparent bluster and confidence. Because - make no mistake - it all sounds sleek and confident and there's certainly a groove and swagger in the band's loins. It's got modernity on its' side, its' tinges of electronica prove Franz are keen to move forward and the epithets like 'dark' and 'funky' currently being bandied around in terms of the group's 'new' direction are – for the most part – reasonably accurate.
And, at times, it all comes together very nicely indeed. New single 'Ulysses' finds Alex Kapranos boasting “I've found a new way, baby!” and builds confidently from its' heartbeat bass and Paul Thomson's reggae-like drums into a full-blown, user-friendly chorus that immediately silences the naysayers. They appear to have the required string of Follow-Up Hits sorted pretty meticulously too. The enjoyably enigmatic 'Bite Hard' (“you don't know the pseudonyms I assume for you”), the instantly catchy 'No You Girls' and – if they elbow the annoying synth part – 'Can't Stop Feeling' could all see their way into the charts blindfolded if pushed.
Sometimes, when they grasp the nettle and strike out, the boldness comes off. Generally, it's true that synths play an equal role with Kapranos and Nick McCarthy's guitars and certainly on a song like 'Twilight Omens' the keyboard motifs bring an epic quality into the Franz sound which they carry off well. 'Send Him Away' is effective because the band leave some space around the groove and loosen up, while the bombastic backdrop and disorienting, psychedelic-tinged overload of the seven-minute 'Lucid Dreams' is one of the best things Franz have recorded to date. It's quite a headfuck on headphones and sounds all the better for it.
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Elsewhere, though, the courageousness deserts them. Superficially, there's nothing much wrong with tunes like 'Turn It On' and the commitment-shy 'Live Alone', but scratch the surface of the groove and there's not much there, save for yet more variations on Franz's post-Pulp pop moves.
'What She Came For', though, is the ultimate in bet-hedging, taking in low-grade sexy grooves, terrace chant choruses and a guitar-addled punk sprint to the tape. Versatility's one thing, but this sounds like desperation to cover bases writ large.
Thankfully, though, they save some satisfying stuff for the wind-down. After the epic 'Lucid Dreams', they've still got the low-key loops, Noir-ish atmosphere and walking basslines of 'Dream Again' and the charmingly low-key, acoustic 'Katherine Kiss Me' in reserve. This latter, especially, finds Alex in a rare, vulnerable setting and sounds all the more credible as a result. After a spate of stomping grooves, the country-style finger-picking and slightly tongue-tied delivery is a delight and it can't fail to send you home with a smile on your face.
'Tonight', then, is certainly a decent album and by no means devoid of inspiration. It's got hedonism on its' mind and in its' hips and wants to share the feeling with its' audience. At times, though, thedesire to push on sonically gets the better of it and the results can be...well, confused, if not quite wayward. Ultimately, it seems caught between the options laid out in the opening paragraph of this review and uncomfortable to commit either way. The next time round, they may not have the luxury of deferring their decision.
(http://www.franzferdinand.co.uk)
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