Review Summary: Jam-packed with guitar hooks, catchy choruses, witty lyrics and harmonic melodies, this exciting & vibrant debut LP oozes charisma and practically contains no filler. Thoroughly recommended.
Have you ever wondered why the best actors are not necessarily the ones who are most in demand and therefore make the most money? What is it about actors such as Cary Grant & Sean Connery in the past and George Clooney & Brad Pitt in the present which make them rise above their more talented peers? Some would argue it is simply their looks, but it is more than that. It is their “charisma”… Their ability to connect with an audience and leave people hanging on their every word.
Charisma also exists in music, even if it is not as initially apparent as their silver-screen counterparts. One band that oozes charisma is Scottish 4 piece Franz Ferdinand. Whether he is whispering verses or belting out a chorus, when lead vocalist Alex Kapranos sings, it is difficult not to pay attention. Furthermore, his three backing musicians also have a certain charisma about them with their fantastic mix of dance-rock, post-punk and poppy accessibility appealing to practically anyone and everyone.
Bursting on to the scene in late 2003 with the well-received ‘Darts of Pleasure’ EP, the title track from that debut release was then used as the lead single off of their self-titled LP. The cut is an excellent representation of Kapranos’ talent as he suavely charms his audience with his near-perfect vocals. Franz Ferdinand do not seem to be a band that like to play it safe though, with the song taking a turn a little after the 2 minute mark as it picks up pace and Kapranos turns double-agent into a German spy. What may sound downright weird on paper, works for the piece better than anyone could have imagined.
As impressive as ‘Darts of Pleasure’ is, it is then bettered by subsequent single and album highlight ‘Take Me Out’. The ambitious tempo switch at the one minute mark of this cut is the kind of technique that bands who have even been around for a decade fail to pull off successfully. Yet, Franz Ferdinand turn it into another body-moving guitar hook, and another catchy sing-along chorus which had it right up there in contention for being the best song of 2004.
While those 2 lead singles may be the very best on offer here, there are other excellent tracks from beginning to end. Opener ‘Jacqueline’ begins with Kapranos’ enchanting voice and some gentle background acoustic strums, before letting loose with spiky guitar that will have you both rocking and dancing simultaneously. Oddly titled mid-album cut ‘Auf Achse’ is darker and effectively uses keys. 4th single ‘Michael’ adds some pace and intensity, while 5th and final single ‘This Fire’ is pop for the pub crowd with its infectiously repetitive chorus.
Songs not mentioned thus far are simply a little more conventional in the scheme of things, but no less effective because of that. Put simply, there is no filler evident on this LP, which is something not all that common on debut albums. In fact, so strong and even is the track listing that B-Sides such as ‘Van Tango’ and ‘All For You Sophia’ were extremely unlucky not to make the final release and are worth tracking down.
Especially when considering this is a debut LP, listing weaknesses of ‘Franz Ferdinand’ would simply be nit-picking. Jam-packed with fidgety angular guitar hooks, catchy sing-along choruses, witty satirical lyrics and harmonic vocal melodies, this is an exciting and vibrant album that consistently excels. Furthermore, through the band’s charisma, it has that certain X-factor which one cannot help being wowed by. A deserving winner of the 2004 Mercury Music Prize and thoroughly recommended for listeners of all kinds of musical styles.
Recommended Tracks: Take Me Out, Darts of Pleasure, Michael, The Dark of the Matinee & This Fire.
I've never really given these guys a serious listen, but I've had this CD floating around for a while, so I suppose I might as well now.
