The Scottish band Franz Ferdinand broke big in 2004, but to whom much is given, much is expected. Fortunately, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand finds the gangly mod-pop quartet tinkering with its formulas, implementing innovative production and unique instrumentation while retaining its core sound. (Eastern European keyboards? Check! A human skeleton as a percussion instrument? Why not?)
"Can't Stop Feeling" is a perfect catalyst for pre-party mood-setting, as Jamaican dub and throbbing synths boost singer-guitarist Alex Kraponos' lilting vocals to energetic heights. The result is a call to action that lands somewhere between Talking Heads and Kaiser Chiefs, a territory Franz Ferdinand still rules. But progressives be warned: Despite the three-year wait between albums, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand prizes experimental production over experimental performance. The album is classic Franz Ferdinand — now that its legacy stretches far back enough to have a "classic" era — and songs like "Can't Stop Feeling" are essentially more of what audiences have come to expect. Fortunately, in this band's case, that's not a bad thing.
Listen to yesterday's Song of the Day, and subscribe to the Song of the Day newsletter.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.