By all accounts, Franz Ferdinand is probably the most underrated indie rock band of this generation.
Full stop.
Despite having regularly released music for the last 15 years, the Scottish art rockers still have yet to receive the praise, admiration and respect they truly deserve for completely changing the course of modern indie rock music. Led by lead singer and tastemaker Alex Kapranos, Franz Ferdinand not only broke into the scene in 2003 but entirely invented a new one with the monumental release of their self-titled debut record and memorable single, “Take Me Out.”
While The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Interpol were laying groundwork in New York, and The Libertines and The Cribs were awakening London to the post-punk revival, Franz Ferdinand did something slightly different: they were trying to get girls to dance.
Speaking with Noisey recently, Alex Kapranos further explained his 2005 comment when he said his goal was to “make records that girls can dance to and to cut through postured crap:”
At the time I was going to gigs in Glasgow and something I noticed was that 94 percent of the audience was male. And they’d just stand there and sway and stroke their beard and over-intellectualize music that was quick thick and fucking obvious…My ideal for music was something smart that made me want to dance…I remember speaking to my female friends at the time, saying, “Why aren’t you at these gigs?” And they all said the same thing: “Because they’re fucking boring.” And they were totally right.
So Franz did just that – they put out a record that made girls want to dance. And then they did it again with You Could Have It So Much Better. And again with Tonight, and again with Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action. And now, five years since their last studio release, and after a collaborative record with Sparks and the departure of founding member Nick McCarthy, Franz Ferdinand presents Always Ascending. Now they’re making girls dance, but with a twist.
Always Ascending, released on February 9th, is a uniquely Franz Ferdinand record in that it’s sonically progressive, thematically ambitious, and nostalgic in its own futurism. Namely, it’s very Franz. The album’s titular lead single begins with a slow burn rise of soft piano keys as a distant voice repeats, “Put your ladder down, put your ladder down” before erupting into a bonafide explosion of synth and guitars. Alex’s trademark sardonic lyrics of “We can ascend from this arrangement / we can see fate as entertainment / Always and always and always ascending / Pause the progression, but ah never gonna resolve,” reference not only the infamous Shepard tone illusion known for giving listeners auditory anxiety that never resolves, but touch upon the precariousness of our current political climate. (Doesn’t it feel like we’re slowly leaving nuclear disarmament behind for a future much more threatening? Will that feeling ever resolve?)
Franz, never ones to shy from political touchpoints, tackle current events on the record with a heavy hand and ambition that mostly works. Whether addressing creative imprisonment in the endlessly catchy “Paper Cages,” female empowerment and the altruism of media in the funky “Lois Lane,” or opening American minds to the UK’s healthcare in “Huck And Jim,” Franz never sacrifice memorable melodies and dance beats in place of heavy subject matter. “Lois Lane,” obviously referencing the iconic Daily Planet reporter from Superman, portrays her character not simply as Clark Kent’s helpless girlfriend constantly in need of saving, but as a “pretty strong woman” who can save the world through journalism and “mak[ing] good choices.” The lyrics wink and nudge at you throughout every verse, but the true stars of the tune come in Bob Hardy’s unforgivably funky bassline and Julian Corrie’s light-hearted synth combination. Not since 2009’s “Ulysses” has the bass been so perfect in a Franz song, Bob. Well done.
Like “Lois Lane,” “Huck and Jim” approaches American culture with a sense of irony. Alex cleverly chooses two classic archetypal characters from American literature and brings them into the modern day. Backed by heavy power chords and moody bass, the dark song transforms when it reaches its singalong chorus: “We’re going to America / we’re gonna tell them about the NHS / when we get there, we’ll all hang out / sippin’ 40’s with Huck and Him.” The imagined scenario of discussing the UK’s national healthcare over beer with Mark Twain characters seems to be deep commentary on both the U.S. and bro culture, and I am so on board with it.
“The Academy Award,” another distinctly American trope that pops up on the album, provides another layer of commentary on consumer culture. As Alex sings, “We’re starring in the movies are our lives / and the Academy Award for good times goes to you / There’s a camera held in every hand / the clamor of applause in every mind / but the Academy Award for good times goes to you,” it’s not difficult to detect criticism of social media and its tendency toward narcissism. Luckily, not every song on the record feels so didactic albeit catchy.
While the heavy-handed tracks should be praised for their ambition, the strongest moments on the record are actually the small, optimistic moments that arise in songs like “Finally” and “Feel the Love Go.” Crafted as the perfectly breezy and beachy singalong for live performances, “Finally” includes the final refrain: “Finally I found my people / I found the people who were meant to be found by me / […] God, how it heals you to feel / God, how it feels good to be with people like me.”
Likewise, the record’s second single “Feel the Love Go” captures the simple pleasure of a memorable guitar riff, sweetly infectious synth, and Paul Thomson’s purposeful drumming backing a perfect chorus. The song’s generous use of horns and brass recalls something off a cult classic John Hughes soundtrack in the most effective and earnest way.
Fans of classic Franz Ferdinand records will find their own solace on Always Ascending too; every so often, a track sounds as if it’s been plucked from the band’s back catalog while still remaining fresh. The sexy swagger, catchy guitar hooks, and sartorial lyrics of “Glimpse of Love” recall early hit “The Dark of the Matinée,” and the beautifully poignant melody of “Slow Don’t Kill Me Slow” feels reminiscent of the melancholy in “Goodbye Lovers and Friends.” This is still the Franz we know and love, but in a new context.
Always Ascending doesn’t simply portray what many of us have known for years about Franz Ferdinand’s clever songwriting and artful approach to meaningful topics, but indirectly proves that there’s nothing wrong with making records girls can dance to. It’s been 15 years and this girl is still dancing. Thanks for thinking of us too, Franz.
Album Highlights: “Always Ascending,” “Lois Lane,” “Glimpse of Love,” “Slow Don’t Kill Me Slow”
