Alex sings "I've found a new way, baby" on the funk-pop album opener, "Ulysses", but has he?? Yes!! Three albums now, and Franz Ferdinand are still doing the exact same thing. But if you pay attention to the details, you'll find out that the entire album thrives on retro funk. The whole hype about them working with Xenomania and all that didn't do anything for the album though. I don't think there's a single Xenomania track on the album in the first place.. Before i go on to review the album, i must say i'm impressed by their cover-art in this era... its brilliant!! And the theme they're using is very (i wanna say intelligent..but..) clever!! Here are the singles' cover art
Ulysses is a sexy song, with its electro guitar and very funk-y sound. FF are trying something new with this song. The whispery vocals will get everyone raving about this song forever! "Come on let's get high", yes!! You can literally get high listening to this song!! Catchy chorus.
Turn It On keeps the momentum going . Thick bass lines. Catchy choruses. Weird verses. Yes, very very FF. So all that change in the album ended with the first track only.
No You Girls, the current single, is this album's Take Me Out. Extremely catchy. The production on the guitars sound phenomenal. Personally, i love this track best on the album.
Twilight Omens sees FF experimenting with synthesized sounds again, but this time, combining them with their signature crisp 60's guitar sound. Its a song about being mad in love, again, one of my favourites from this album. I must compliment FF for having such weird lyrics even on a love song.
I wrote your name Upon the back of my hands Slept upon it and i woke up with it Backwards on my face Reading forwards to my mirror To my heart
Send Him Away has a very hippy sound to it. The twangy guitar in the song is sexy, but the end is so abrupt, it left me craving for more.. It goes well with the rest of the tracks on the album.
Live Alone is FF's version of Techno pop. But it still thrives hard on retro funk, carrying on the 80's sound from the previous track.
Bite Hard starts like a jazzy ballad, and i was so shocked to hear this when the song started, but a little after 30 seconds, the sound goes back to FF's signature sound.
What She Came For has an annoying groove, its very rnb-esque.. Its a new style FF experimented with, and i for one am somehow not happy with the song. The lyrics are a little strange.
Can't Stop Feeling is an older song, if i'm not wrong. Cos i heard this song much before the album came out. The song is very catchy. Quite a good tune. But i've heard the original before, and i think i prefer that. I know FF said they worked with human bones on a song called "Kiss Me" but it sounds more like this is the song they used those bones on. Listen to the strange sound of the drums
Lucid Dreams is also a re-make of an already existing song. I prefer the original demo which came out before the album. The album version has two faults. One, its very very very very long. Two, the second half is so remix-y that it doesn't fit in with the rest of the album. For God's sake, its an indie album. Not a remix album.
Dream Again is a boring track. I never got into it. But i think the synthesizers and drum programing (it does sound a lot like that) are pretty good.
Katherine Kiss Me is a big mistake!
