[Review] Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

WARNING: i'm no professional music journalist whatsoever. i made this review the way i want to make it. yes, it might be a bit biased, since i'm obsessed with the band. what? you don't know that? then you don't know me really well.

"we wanted to make music for the girls to dance."
- Franz Ferdinand -

lo! and behold!
the Glaswegian Archdukes of Pop are back. still with previous mission. and this time they mean it. after three years of touring and being hermits in their hometown, Franz Ferdinand unleashed their third record, a club album titled Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. and i was one of those lucky bastards who are lucky enough (or bastard enough, your call) to own the "leaked edition" of the album. and loving it ever since. it was worth the wait. it was very very worth the wait.


the abums Franz Ferdinand and You Can Have It So Much Better were dominated by the rough guitar sounds and fast bass and drum playings. the songs were fast, rock almost punk, but still have that danceable feel to them. for the third album the guyz had ditched the guitars and - quoting this magazine/newspaper that i forgot the name - sold their souls to the synth god. the music of Franz Ferdinand had developed. yes, the disco-punkers didn't sounded like fast-tempo rock anymore. they explored various fields of music. not only the guitars had the boyz abandoned, but also the modern technology. it's time to make music manually. name it, human skeletons for percussions, swinging microphones from the ceilings for Doppler effects and something as simple as standing around an amplifier to create an explosively loud sound. but, fear not, the somewhat-disco-punk music still got the trademark sound of the band. and also the trademark ambiguous lyrics by Kapranos/McCarthy.

fans probably had familiar with most of the songs. since the band had played them live on several concerts, or even older album's b-sides. they even reconstructed songs that they had before to brand new ones. fascinating.

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is music of the night: to fling yourself around your room to as you psyche yourself for a night of hedonism, for the dance-floor, flirtation, for your desolate heart-stop, for losing it and loving losing it, for the chemical surge in your bloodstream. It’s for that lonely hour gently rocking yourself waiting for dawn and it all to be even again.”

- Alexander Kapranos -

ULYSSES. the first single.
the Franztastic and fabulous works of Robert Hardy and Paul Thomson on bass and drums, respectfully, would accompany you preparing for a hedonism night out in the city. as you get ready, you can hear the creepy lyrics that somewhat sounded right, for some reasons. it would also provoke you to do something spectacular tonight. if not stupid.

TURN IT ON. the stalker anthem.
isn't it how you feel when you saw that girl? the beautiful girl that had caught your eyes ever since the night started. you wanted her, and if you can't have her, then nobody can. the synth and bass was agree with you. the drums were the conductors as you moved swiftly like a wild cat targeting its prey. the track aroused you to get her alone. without her knowing how.

NO YOU GIRLS. previously called Katherine Kiss Me before the ladz change the title. and made a whole new song to fill the title Katherine Kiss Me. these two tracks were alter egos.
was that your heart beating fast as you kissed her? or was it the drums again? the vocals were cheerful, but it sends creeps in you. why? should it do that? the night still young, no time to freaked out now. well, let her flick her cigarette and kiss you again, then.

SEND HIM AWAY. sounded sweet, despite the [again!] stalker-ish lyrics.
why being possessive? do you owned the girl? had you two just met? and was there someone before her? does it matter? various voices inside. falsetto. tenor. baritone. all pleaded her if she can let you stay tonight. what would she say? what was her answer? you waited as your heart beats like an African war-drum.

TWILIGHT OMENS. beautiful melody, vamp lyrics perfected with the half-moaning voice.
it's time to went on with the night. accompanied by a creepy organ sound that was soothing your feeling. and how you couldn't stop hearing her name in your head. you could even hear a smooth Scottish voice on the radio singing her name. the name repeated over and over again, until it became a meaningless word to you. just a meaningless row of letters. or something.

BITE HARD. a dark song about rejecting faith. smart lyric, though.
history does repeated itself, yes? even the most recent things happened to you felt like it was a has-been. aren't we all simply actors in this life and there was someone higher writing a script for us, and we must follow it? was there someone up there toying with us? should we always obey? don't we all have our own state of minds? oh, look! you broke your knees from begging and praying!

WHAT SHE CAME FOR. i loved this song even when it was still a converted mp3 from a live video.
flirty sound from an organ came to your head. accompanied with a lustful drumming and aroused guitar rhytm. you loved the feel and what you hear. you loved it even before you know what would happen. you even loved the sexy voice of Alexander Kapranos panting, 'i got a question for you, where do you see yourself in five minutes time?'. was he picking a fight with you or was he being cynical, you never know.

LIVE ALONE. something that Ms. Minogue could sing nicely. let the Franz clubbing begin!
a very familiar music played. was that Kylie? no, it wasn't. she would be good singing it, though. but, behold, the foursome from Glasgow had it better. this dance tune was made by them and only for them. that Greek-Scot's sexy voice sounded so flirty, even though he was sending away a challenge for the woman to leave him alone. but of course, you know while he'll be here, he wished he was there.

CAN'T STOP FEELING. MY. FAVOURITE. TRACK. FROM. TONIGHT. this was a b-side from the first album [i think!]. but the lads picked this up and re-do it. and VOILA! a genuine Disco Franz!
the intro, the bridge, the chorus, the middle eight, the ending. it was that rushing feeling again! didn't it sent a vague memory inside your mind? the song had hypnotised you to dance on the beautiful dancefloor, like a beautiful dancewhore. and across the room, you could see a man with floppy honey-coloured hair, facial features like a Greek god and stunningly defined English jaws was eyeing you sharply with his green eyes. at that moment, you knew this time you are the prey. he was the predator. however, you learned that after he's done with you, he would leave you dancing alone and to die on the floor. indeed, fun's not fun anymore. and your name was not even Michael.

LUCID DREAMS. yes, THE Lucid Dreams had ressurected to an almost eight-minutes track.
the night felt longer. funny how it was quick before. what happened? it felt like waking up with wings from lucid dreams. yes, it was the climax of the night. it's time to let it all out. listen! listen to the new rhytm inside you. first half of the night was fascinating, there were so many things to follow. it was like everything was not the right order, but it was spectacular! and the second half? worry not, you still have the excitement. the synth/electronica fiesta, commandeered by Mr. Nicholas McCarthy. superfantastiche!


DREAM AGAIN. a bit of You Can Have It's Fade Together, are we? darker and more spooky, though.
the night was almost over. it was time to calm down. prepared yourself to go home. was the night real, or everything just a dream? all looked so surreal, is it not? and don't you like to dream again? the eerie lullaby-like music would accompanied you on your way home. the keyboard sound was soft, tingling in your ears in a comforting way. it's time to give in to the night.

KATHERINE KISS ME. aye, the Dr. Jekyll to No You Girls's Mr. Hyde.
sitting or lying down on your bed, prepared yourself for a sleep as the first ray of morning light peeking from your window. a ballad with smooth acoustic guitar and a keyboard also played sweetly. the other side of the story. the bloke was alone, replaying the actual first kiss in with that girl his head. how he was in awe of her, and defenseless as they kissed. she was carefree, yet she looked bored as they kiss on the alleyway. but you don't mind, because you never wonder ... how the girl feels.

ps. pictures came from FFG forum.