Travel back in time to the mid 2000s and you would be hard pressed to escape "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand on the air waves. On the radio, music channels, in discos and clubs, what felt like overnight, the track catapulted frontman Alex Kapranos, guitarist Nick McCarthy, bassist Bob Hardy and drummer Paul Thomson into a household UK name with its tension building first section, and iconic riff.
Ever since, the band have striven to reinvent themselves and their sound. The post-punk rock sound of their debut self titled album has since evolved to take on dancier tones and stylings. Although they have not dominated the music culture zeitgeist of the UK in quite the same way as their ever-present 2004 debut, their evolution has meant the band have endured where some contemporaries haven't been able to.
The line-up has changed too, with Julian Corrie on keys, Dino Bardot on guitar, plus Audrey Tait now on drums, replacing Thompson. From there the band have refined and reimagined themselves over five albums. Kicking off 2025 with a blast of dancey riffs and typical quirky hooks, the band return with album number six, The Human Fear.
Opener "Audacious" evokes the bands earlier material with high energy guitar lines and Kapranos on the mic with Strokes style vocals. Meanwhile the chorus soars with a swaying melody that will be ripe for a big singalong. Elsewhere, "Everydaydreamer" follows in a more introspective, moodier style, bopping along with a pleasingly plucky bassline. "Hooked" sees the bands electronic stylings come to rhe fore, with a grimey synth led feel.
But perhaps the standout, especially for those less familiar with Franz ferdinands entire catalogue outside of the biggest hits, may be the closing track "the birds". Although different in tempo, it bares some similarities to "Take Me Out" in how the guitar lines jaunt and compliment each other over a steady cyclical rhythm. Tension is released in sporadic episodes of cachoponous guitar leads, before again returning to that revolving main section.
Although on the whole The Human Fear may not capture the imagination in the same way as the groups earlier offerings, it is still worthwhile and full of creativity in its own right. Lightning may not strike twice, but that doesn't mean The Human Fear is any less impactul and striking. There is plenty here for die-hards and the casuals all the same.
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