franz ferdinand album review
in case you care....
At the Franz Ferdinand concert in June 2004, I was determined not to be one of those annoying high school bitches that scream uncontrollably at the sight of the (dashingly handsome) band. While I did not have a sign that said, “I LOVE YOU FRANZ FERDINAND!” or even, “MARRY ME ALEX KAPRANOS!” I do admit to verbalizing the former and wishing the latter. When Franz Ferdinand finally came onto the stage after two sets of opening bands (one of which were the decent Sons and Daughters, who have recently released their LP), I was about to wet my pants from excitement.
Just as the band struck the opening chords, a pair of girls in Chanel elbowed her way to the front of me, all the while viciously stomping on my bare feet (I was wearing flip flops - stupid choice, I know) with ugly turquoise stilettos. Aside from hobbling with pain, I wondered why girls like that would be at a Franz Ferdinand concert. Looking back, it seems so obvious. Franz Ferdinand makes the type of witty, smart, dance-rock marketed (unintentionally or not) to the masses.
It’s easy to appreciate Franz Ferdinand on several levels: lyrically, musically… physically. After the exposure from various Clear Channel and alternative radio stations, MTV support of their “Take Me Out” video, and successful American tours, everybody knew who Franz Ferdinand was. Urban Outfitters made men’s tees with their logo. They were ubiquitous. Franz Ferdinand was everybody’s favorite no-longer-indie indie band. And ultimately, this left me at once both happy for their success but also scared at the expectations arising for their next release. Where were Franz Ferdinand going to go from here? Would they turn crappy like Duran Duran? Make lyrically nonsensical music like the Killers?
Thankfully, Franz Ferdinand has remained mostly themselves with their latest effort, You Could Have It So Much Better. Unlike their eponymous debut, YCHISMB is not instantaneously catchy - in fact, I would argue that their first single, “Do You Want To?” was a poor choice, and that they should have used the album opener, “The Fallen” instead. “The Fallen” showcases some of the best material on YCHISMB precisely because it encapsulates everything Franz Ferdinand is good at in under four minutes: storytelling, appropriate musical and lyrical cohesiveness, and a sort of dark pop sensibility they have perfected so well (and was possible by the pioneers of such genre, the Pixies).
“Do You Want To?” while catchy, brings up one of the issues Franz Ferdinand needs to address lyrically: they are either extremely verbose, cramming as many syllables and soundbytes into each measure, or quite minimalist, repeating phrases far beyond their needed emphasis. While this was generally not an issue on their self-titled LP, it became one on YCHISMB. “When I woke up tonight I said I’m/ Going to make somebody love me/ I’m going to make somebody love me/ Now I know/ Now I know/ Now I know/ That it’s you/ You’re lucky lucky you’re so lucky” Kapranos begins. “Well do you/ Do you/ Do you want to/ Want to go where I’d never let you before.” When the song starts sounding like an echo of itself, it is quite apparent that some structure is needed, or at the very least, a verse that doesn’t repeat more than half its words. “Do You Want To” sounds a bit like a skipping record: it would have sounded better had someone taken the time to fix it up and cleaned up the excess.
Similarly, the song “I’m Your Villain” suffers from issue as well: without an identifiable set chorus (which some artists, such as John Frusciante, can pull off) Kapranos and Co. try to rely on alternating repeating single instrumental riffs and then repeating lines, “I’m your villain,” “You’re so serious,” and “Baby, see you later.” All this is shoved in between an inexplicable, although not unusual for Franz Ferdinand, change in tempo and tune. “I’m Your Villain” is not a bad song per se, but it needs some work to make it more focused.
On the whole, YCHISMB is pretty much consistent - but that shouldn’t be a surprise considering their last LP didn’t have any fillers (well, maybe “Cheating On You”). Yet, beyond the outstanding aforementioned “The Fallen” and the closing track “Outsiders,” I’m not sure any song can take on the massive success that was “Take Me Out.” One problem I do have with YCHISMB is that I like bits and pieces of certain songs, whereas on Franz Ferdinand I like songs in their entirety, exactly as the band imagined it. On songs such as “Well That Was Easy,” the chorus is repetitive and lackluster (“That was easy, but how I miss you/ That was easy, but I still miss you/ That was easy, but how I miss you”), while its verses are great, making it an uneven affair and a difficult listen.
However, Franz Ferdinand are branching out musically, with the White-Stripes-esque “Evil and A Heathen” and “You Could Have It So Much Better,” in which Kapranos channels his inner Ted Leo by refusing to become a “cynical goon.” Even better are the mid-tempo songs, especially “Walk Away” and “Eleanor Put Your Boots On” (supposedly written about Eleanor Friedberger from the Fiery Furances although Kapranos has denied it) that are earnest and enduring, improving upon each spin.
You Could Have It Better is the sound of a maturing and evolving Franz Ferdinand. It suggests the potential greater things to come, a masterpiece to call their own.
Recommended tracks:
1. The Fallen
2. This Boy
3. Walk Away
4. You’re The Reason I’m Leaving
5. Outsiders
At the Franz Ferdinand concert in June 2004, I was determined not to be one of those annoying high school bitches that scream uncontrollably at the sight of the (dashingly handsome) band. While I did not have a sign that said, “I LOVE YOU FRANZ FERDINAND!” or even, “MARRY ME ALEX KAPRANOS!” I do admit to verbalizing the former and wishing the latter. When Franz Ferdinand finally came onto the stage after two sets of opening bands (one of which were the decent Sons and Daughters, who have recently released their LP), I was about to wet my pants from excitement.
Just as the band struck the opening chords, a pair of girls in Chanel elbowed her way to the front of me, all the while viciously stomping on my bare feet (I was wearing flip flops - stupid choice, I know) with ugly turquoise stilettos. Aside from hobbling with pain, I wondered why girls like that would be at a Franz Ferdinand concert. Looking back, it seems so obvious. Franz Ferdinand makes the type of witty, smart, dance-rock marketed (unintentionally or not) to the masses.
It’s easy to appreciate Franz Ferdinand on several levels: lyrically, musically… physically. After the exposure from various Clear Channel and alternative radio stations, MTV support of their “Take Me Out” video, and successful American tours, everybody knew who Franz Ferdinand was. Urban Outfitters made men’s tees with their logo. They were ubiquitous. Franz Ferdinand was everybody’s favorite no-longer-indie indie band. And ultimately, this left me at once both happy for their success but also scared at the expectations arising for their next release. Where were Franz Ferdinand going to go from here? Would they turn crappy like Duran Duran? Make lyrically nonsensical music like the Killers?
Thankfully, Franz Ferdinand has remained mostly themselves with their latest effort, You Could Have It So Much Better. Unlike their eponymous debut, YCHISMB is not instantaneously catchy - in fact, I would argue that their first single, “Do You Want To?” was a poor choice, and that they should have used the album opener, “The Fallen” instead. “The Fallen” showcases some of the best material on YCHISMB precisely because it encapsulates everything Franz Ferdinand is good at in under four minutes: storytelling, appropriate musical and lyrical cohesiveness, and a sort of dark pop sensibility they have perfected so well (and was possible by the pioneers of such genre, the Pixies).
“Do You Want To?” while catchy, brings up one of the issues Franz Ferdinand needs to address lyrically: they are either extremely verbose, cramming as many syllables and soundbytes into each measure, or quite minimalist, repeating phrases far beyond their needed emphasis. While this was generally not an issue on their self-titled LP, it became one on YCHISMB. “When I woke up tonight I said I’m/ Going to make somebody love me/ I’m going to make somebody love me/ Now I know/ Now I know/ Now I know/ That it’s you/ You’re lucky lucky you’re so lucky” Kapranos begins. “Well do you/ Do you/ Do you want to/ Want to go where I’d never let you before.” When the song starts sounding like an echo of itself, it is quite apparent that some structure is needed, or at the very least, a verse that doesn’t repeat more than half its words. “Do You Want To” sounds a bit like a skipping record: it would have sounded better had someone taken the time to fix it up and cleaned up the excess.
Similarly, the song “I’m Your Villain” suffers from issue as well: without an identifiable set chorus (which some artists, such as John Frusciante, can pull off) Kapranos and Co. try to rely on alternating repeating single instrumental riffs and then repeating lines, “I’m your villain,” “You’re so serious,” and “Baby, see you later.” All this is shoved in between an inexplicable, although not unusual for Franz Ferdinand, change in tempo and tune. “I’m Your Villain” is not a bad song per se, but it needs some work to make it more focused.
On the whole, YCHISMB is pretty much consistent - but that shouldn’t be a surprise considering their last LP didn’t have any fillers (well, maybe “Cheating On You”). Yet, beyond the outstanding aforementioned “The Fallen” and the closing track “Outsiders,” I’m not sure any song can take on the massive success that was “Take Me Out.” One problem I do have with YCHISMB is that I like bits and pieces of certain songs, whereas on Franz Ferdinand I like songs in their entirety, exactly as the band imagined it. On songs such as “Well That Was Easy,” the chorus is repetitive and lackluster (“That was easy, but how I miss you/ That was easy, but I still miss you/ That was easy, but how I miss you”), while its verses are great, making it an uneven affair and a difficult listen.
However, Franz Ferdinand are branching out musically, with the White-Stripes-esque “Evil and A Heathen” and “You Could Have It So Much Better,” in which Kapranos channels his inner Ted Leo by refusing to become a “cynical goon.” Even better are the mid-tempo songs, especially “Walk Away” and “Eleanor Put Your Boots On” (supposedly written about Eleanor Friedberger from the Fiery Furances although Kapranos has denied it) that are earnest and enduring, improving upon each spin.
You Could Have It Better is the sound of a maturing and evolving Franz Ferdinand. It suggests the potential greater things to come, a masterpiece to call their own.
Recommended tracks:
1. The Fallen
2. This Boy
3. Walk Away
4. You’re The Reason I’m Leaving
5. Outsiders