Franz Ferdinand - "Always Ascending"

Since the early 2000's, Scotland's Franz Ferdinand has been stealing the hearts of Indie Fan's with catchy hooks and Dance-Punk rhythms.  And if you're looking to get into their music, honestly there really isn't a better place to start than their 2004 self-titled album.  This album contains nothing but truly punchy tunes, from their massive breakout singles like "Take Me Out" and "Dark of the Matinee".  But tunes like "Jaqueline" and "Cheating On You" quickly proved that Franz Ferdinand were more than just a hit-makers.  Franz Ferdinand continued to dominate with their second album, "You Could Have It So Much Better".  There were a lot of the same sort of Dance-Punk tunes on here, mostly late in the album with tracks like "I'm Your Villian" and "That Was Easy".  But a great portion of the rest of the album really showed Franz Ferdinand branching out into all sorts of new genres. Whether it be the Noire fueled "Walk Away" or the legitimately Punk "You're The Reason I'm Leaving", Franz Ferdinand this time around were seriously not afraid to try out any genre.  It would be a few years until we heard Franz Ferdinand again.  In 2009, they released the less punchy and more poppy "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand".  I wouldn't say that made this a bad album though, on the contrary tracks like "No You Girls" were serious jams.  But I would say, as catchy as a lot of these tracks were, I really got the feeling like the songs here didn't have as much lasting power.  Now, with their next album, 2013's "Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action", Franz Ferdinand went back to trying to incorporate more grooves, something I figured I would eat up immediately.  And while tracks like "Right Action" were OK at best, Franz Ferdinand seemed dreadfully unfocused.  They seemed torn between a more Dance-Punk style they got famous with and some weird Post-Disco sound they were trying so hard to master.  Franz Ferdinand needed a rebirth of sorts.  Franz Ferdinand are back after a few years, sporting a new look and a new lineup, and yes an altered sound.  Let's chat about it!

(A personal favorite of mine)

This album starts off with the title track, “Always Ascending”.  I actually really don’t mind the very glamorous start to this track.  The slowly paced pianos come off as very classy and I actually feel like some of the backing vocals help build up a little tension.  Alex sounds just as mysterious and dangerous as ever, and while this intro does go on a little longer than I would have liked, it’s a solid intro to pulsating Post-Disco that follows.  Obviously, this is very different for Franz Ferdinand, as they’ve basically ditched their Indie Rock roots, and in its place are exploiting their Dance-Punk undertones to entirely new levels.  The result, may not be as punchy or as memorable as early tunes from the band.  But I can’t deny just how enjoyable and fun this is.  Not to mention, Franz Ferdinand really don’t sound like they’re reaching for this at all, it just sounds natural.  That being said, “Always Ascending” is a colorful fun intro that I can’t say no to.  “Lazy Boy” is up next, and this one brings in even more grooves and tense playing right off the bat, which I actually really love.  You get these brief moments here where Franz Ferdinand come off sounding like their glory years.  Like, on this one it’s that absolutely killer funky riff and Alex’s hypnotic and memorable chorus.  This really isn’t that bad of a sound for them at all honestly, and I for one am glad they really stopped all this combining of genres and released a series of tunes that capitalizes on one sound.  But then we have moments like “Paper Cages” that are all synths with no Dance Punk in sight.  yes, even with all the grooves floating in and out, there really isn’t anything punchy about this one.  It’s moments like this that make me feel like Franz Ferdinand really ought to slow things down and leave this new Synth-based sound altogether.  This isn’t catchy, it’s not colorful, it’s just exhausting to sit through and I can barely imagine what it was like recording this.  Alex’s performance is just so bland and emotionless, while on other tunes here and in the past he’s been such a wonderful frontman.  Overall, “Paper Cages” is just not a good tune, and while I feel like it’s certainly catchy in points and well written, I just can’t shake the feeling this isn’t what they should be going for.  Now, at the very least, this may be a little slow, but there’s a great element of mystery to this and I’m actually compelled by a lot of the instrumentals.  We also get these group vocals here, which might just be some of the catchiest of the entire album.  For a slower tune, this is just so punchy and memorable.  Sure, the verses may be a little hazy and just the opposite of what I want to hear from Franz Ferdinand, but it’s all a build-up to just how explosive the chorus is.  Moments like “Finally” on the other hand, make such a good argument on Franz Ferdinand sticking with this style in the future. 

    By the time we hit tracks like “The Academy Award” however, the serious issues of this album start appearing.  Franz Ferdinand in the past has stumbled with trying to stick to a sound and mastering it.  They’ve done so well with incorporating Synths into their jerky Dance Punk so far.  But at the end of the day, they end up clinging so hard to their original indie sound.  With “The Academy Award”, Franz Ferdinand basically take 10 steps back.  I like the mysterious vibe and the way this one is just constant buildup.  But for my liking, this track just doesn’t come off nicely.  It’s not tasteful, it’s just boring after just how exciting and fun some of the earlier tracks were.  Not to mention, I just feel like this is so cheesy, not a good moment at all.  At the very least “Lois Lane” brings back in some of the synth grooves that I’ve dug in the past, and the very tight playing that comes with it.  But here, I have a whole new set of issues.  On earlier tracks, I felt like Franz Ferdinand was taking in this new sound very well and never had to reach for it.  However, “Lois Lane” is a complete reach in every way.  This sounds like any old Indie Band who figured they should try out some synths.  There’s no soul to this, and this just sort of sounds like it was thrown together very quickly.  It’s not colorful, it’s just bland and really makes me want to listen to some of the earlier tunes here.  On the other hand, “Huck And Jim” is actually one of the more determined, streamlined tunes here.  Where the very colorful and fun atmosphere of the first few tracks went is beyond me, but at the very least this is a sound that Franz Ferdinand can handle.  There are some fantastic, funky guitar licks, and Alex on vocals here hasn’t sounded this in control in a while.  It’s catchy, it’s hypnotic, and it’s a totally different sound that really works wonderfully.  Not to mention, Franz Ferdinand just seems so comfortable in this sound once again, and that’s what matters the most.  Then we have “Glimpse of Love” which does infect bring back a whole lot of the bounciness and the fun we saw earlier.  Where they were for the rest of this album is anyone's guess, but if we got a whole album like this I would be totally interested.  “Glimpse Of Love” is catchy, colorful, and seriously off the rails.  I mean, I absolutely love just how absurd Alex’s vocals are and just how smooth this all is.  Is this the best Synth Pop on the market?  Absolutely not.  But Franz Ferdinand in moments like this at least makes it sound like they can become masters very easily. 

    Franz Ferdinand though continues to have such issues with keeping it all up.  “Feel The Love Go” on the other hand is incredibly slow, drawn out and woozy, and it’s doing absolutely nothing for me.  I do like how cold this track is, and I think the beat is certainly a good one.  But I just feel like this is such a stretch for Franz Ferdinand.  Not to mention, Alex’s vocal performance here isn’t nearly as commanding and interesting.  I want to like this album, hell, I want to like this track.  But Franz Ferdinand after all these years still have such an issue with finding a medium for their sound.  But “Feel The Love Go” certainly isn’t a complete waste, I really do love those sax lines and that pulsating beat. But oh boy, let me tell you, “Slow Don’t Kill Me Slow” was not the ending I was hoping for.  All of these very dreary, slow, overly emotional tunes are quite frankly so annoying.  Alex’s vocals aren’t nearly as interesting as he feels they are, I have no idea why they’re just so overly dramatic.  There are some really cool atmospheres on this one too with those woozy synths, I still feel like they are certainly on to something.  But why the hell is this track so damn dreary and depressing?  At least earlier I was having fun. 

Rating: 6.9/10


Give A Listen To: “Always Ascending”, “Finally”, “Huck And Jim”, “Glimpse of Love”


Genre: Dance Punk / Synth Pop / New Wave/ / Indie Rock


Overall Thoughts:  After all of these years, I feel like Franz Ferdinand have finally sort of honed in on a sound they can comfortably call their own.  But man, are they still working on how to package it.  There are some really great tracks on here, and some moments where I would say that Franz Ferdinand are having the most fun they've had since maybe their debut album.  But too much of this album is made up of them floundering trying to desperately get into the groove.  Also, why the hell are there so many slow, dramatic tunes here that come off way too over the top?