Post by rachel on Feb 12, 2009 0:26:59 GMT -5
1.26.09
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight
Tonight is the third album from Scottish dance rock group Franz Ferdinand. With this album, produced by Dan Carey whose previous credits included CSS and Sia, the band wanted the freedom to experiment and improvise. In order to achieve this, they ditched a traditional recording studio and instead recorded in an old town hall outside of Glasgow that had been abandoned for twenty years. According to the band, they wanted the album to have a live feeling so they would play the chorus of a song repeatedly before recording to get into a groove. A big theme was “trying to get ourselves into this almost hypnotized state”. Unfortunately, this technique seems to have produced songs that lack energy and border on sounding bored.
“Ulysses” opens the album and is also the first single release from Tonight. The track starts off quietly with lead singer Alex Kapranos almost whispering the opening lines before it explodes into the chorus that brings us the funky party style of rock that most of the best Franz Ferdinand contain. The song tells us, “Well I’m bored/I’m bored/Come on, let’s get high.” The line accurately sums up the album — boredom interspersed with moments of energy.
“What She Came For” sounds forced and is missing something special and while “Can’t Stop Feeling” musters up more intensity, the songs lyrics are uninteresting and monotonous. The band gets back to doing what they do best with “Twilight Omens” and “Lucid Dreams”, creating some tracks that will get you singing and dancing around. They are not quite the hit the band achieved with “Take Me Out” back in 2004, but they are trying some new ideas.
The album comes to a quiet close with “Katherine Kiss Me”. While it feels almost as if they are looking to create another “Eleanor Put Your Boots On” (easily the standout track off of You Could Do So Much Better). The song is semi-sweet and and appropriate end to the album that revolves around partying and the nighttime, as it asks for a good night kiss. Kapranos said that he wanted “the adrenaline to come squirting through your bloodstream as you listen to this album” and we wanted nothing less. Unfortunately, overall the album is not good enough to be constantly on the playlist for the year but it is worth a listen to find your favourite tracks.
Franz Ferdinand is currently on tour throughout Europe. Tour dates can be found on the official website and Myspace.
Watch the music video for “Ulysses” here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=31sZ9xZr_Ew
*Quotes courtesy of the Tonight: Franz Ferdinand electronic press kit from Domino Records.*
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight
Tonight is the third album from Scottish dance rock group Franz Ferdinand. With this album, produced by Dan Carey whose previous credits included CSS and Sia, the band wanted the freedom to experiment and improvise. In order to achieve this, they ditched a traditional recording studio and instead recorded in an old town hall outside of Glasgow that had been abandoned for twenty years. According to the band, they wanted the album to have a live feeling so they would play the chorus of a song repeatedly before recording to get into a groove. A big theme was “trying to get ourselves into this almost hypnotized state”. Unfortunately, this technique seems to have produced songs that lack energy and border on sounding bored.
“Ulysses” opens the album and is also the first single release from Tonight. The track starts off quietly with lead singer Alex Kapranos almost whispering the opening lines before it explodes into the chorus that brings us the funky party style of rock that most of the best Franz Ferdinand contain. The song tells us, “Well I’m bored/I’m bored/Come on, let’s get high.” The line accurately sums up the album — boredom interspersed with moments of energy.
“What She Came For” sounds forced and is missing something special and while “Can’t Stop Feeling” musters up more intensity, the songs lyrics are uninteresting and monotonous. The band gets back to doing what they do best with “Twilight Omens” and “Lucid Dreams”, creating some tracks that will get you singing and dancing around. They are not quite the hit the band achieved with “Take Me Out” back in 2004, but they are trying some new ideas.
The album comes to a quiet close with “Katherine Kiss Me”. While it feels almost as if they are looking to create another “Eleanor Put Your Boots On” (easily the standout track off of You Could Do So Much Better). The song is semi-sweet and and appropriate end to the album that revolves around partying and the nighttime, as it asks for a good night kiss. Kapranos said that he wanted “the adrenaline to come squirting through your bloodstream as you listen to this album” and we wanted nothing less. Unfortunately, overall the album is not good enough to be constantly on the playlist for the year but it is worth a listen to find your favourite tracks.
Franz Ferdinand is currently on tour throughout Europe. Tour dates can be found on the official website and Myspace.
Watch the music video for “Ulysses” here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=31sZ9xZr_Ew
*Quotes courtesy of the Tonight: Franz Ferdinand electronic press kit from Domino Records.*