I will be the first to admit that when Franz Ferdinand hit the scene in 2004 I thought they would be a one hit wonder.
“Take Me Out,” was super catchy, and it thrust these Glasgow boys into the spotlight just a little too fast. I was proven wrong almost immediately when their next two albums; You Could Have It So Much Better and Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, found comfortable spots amongst the top of the charts not only in the U.S., but worldwide. Their most recent album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, brings just that; the perfect blend of their quirky indie music that I’ve come to expect and love from them.
When asked by press about the album’s concept, lead singer Alex Kapranos explained that the album focuses on, “the idea of the cynic’s search for optimist, and the skeptic’s search for a manual crop up here and there,” which I thought was very interesting. I like concepts that take some serious time with the music to understand, and once you really sit down with the lyrics, it’s clear to see what amazing work Alex and company did with this one.
The album opens strong with the title track, “Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action,” in the same style you’ve heard from tracks like, “Take Me Out” and “Do You Want To,” however, this song almost sounds campy compared to their earlier hits. As the album goes on, “Evil Eye,” makes you feel like you’re in a creepy fun house (in a good way!), “Brief Encounters,” sounds like a daydream, and each track does a fantastic job in dropping you into another world.
My favorite tracks on the album by far are “Fresh Strawberries” and “Bullet,” which keep the LP going through what is almost always a mid-album slump. “Fresh Strawberries,” feels like a nod to the Beatles with sweet and catchy lyrics, while “Bullet,” is a faster tempo song that really shows their European roots in indie rock. The whole time you’re entranced by keyboard and chugging bass that keep each and every song going.
The one song that concerns me is, “Goodbye Lovers and Friends,” because it almost seems like a farewell. There have been some whisperings in the music world that this could indeed be a foreshadowing of the future, but I really hope that it isn’t! While most think that this will not signal the end of Franz Ferdinand, I think that it is a great closing track and a fitting end to the story the album was telling.
With even more European bands with historical names coming to the forefront (go look up the band Bastille) of indie rock, I’m glad these guys paved the way and are still going strong. Go pick up Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions and check out http://www.franzferdinand.com for more information!
