"Jacqueline was 17, Working on a Desk when Ivor Peered Above a Spectacle"

One of the hottest new bands in Britain, Scottish band Franz Ferdinand is currently making waves in Britain with their blend of post-punk and funk. Consisting of singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos, guitarist Nick McCarthy, bassist Bob Hardy, and drummer Paul Thomson, the band, named after murdered Austro-Hungarian archduke that started World War I. Their debut EP “Darts of Pleasure” drew rave reviews from the British press as some compared them to the New York City-based post-punk band Interpol because of its similar influences from the works of the legendary late 70s/early 80s post-punk icons, Joy Division. Particularly in the baritone vocal styles of the late Ian Curtis, except both Kapranos and Interpol’s Paul Banks use lighter ranges than Curtis’ deeper vocal range. For Franz Ferdinand, their sound is pretty much described as the Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Joy Division since the band plays out with funky riffs and rhythms with dense melodies and brooding lyrics of Scottish nightlife that would result in the band’s self-titled debut.

The album begins with “Jacqueline” as it starts off as an acoustic ballad with Alex Kapranos singing about a girl named Jacqueline who met a guy named Ivor that turns out to be a nice night then, crashes down. Then the rollicking guitars from Kapranos and Nick McCarthy with the fast-crashing rhythms of bassist Bob Hardy and drummer Paul Thomson arrive. Then the song goes into rock mode as Kapranos sings about a guy named Gregor that gets into a fight as the band rocks out with stuttering, post-punk guitar riffs. “Tell Her Tonight” arrives with its fast, funky riffs and a bouncy rhythm led by Hardy’s loopy bass lines and break-beat snares from Thomson as Kapranos sings the song’s catchy, dark lyrics of a girl he saw with a rocking, crashing chorus of “Gonna have to tell her tonight” that is fueled by its melodic harmony from the band.

Next is the current single for the song “Take Me Out” as it starts out with a fast, driving guitar as Kapranos sings the song’s frail, brooding lyrics as the song builds up momentum with its driving rhythm. Then the song starts to slow down as rollicking riffs arrive for something funkier with its throbbing rhythm as Kapranos sings the chorus of “I say don’t you know/You say you don’t know/I say, take me out”. The band gets into a funky, rocking groove as Kapranos and McCarthy belt out swanky riffs to Hardy’s bouncy bass lines and Thomson’s throbbing beats. “The Dark Of The Matinee” arrives with droning, rocking riffs followed by Hardy’s loopy bass lines and Thomson’s barreling beats. Kapranos then sings the song’s bleak lyrics with its catchy references to factory life, escapism to the Matinee, and the BBC’s Terry Wogan as the band plays to its funky, irreverent rhythm and Kapranos’ seductive light-baritone vocals.

“Auf Achse” opens up with a melancholic piano riff followed by a soft, wailing synthesizer that harkens to the darkness of Joy Division as it is followed by the bass-throbbing rhythms of Thomson and Hardy. Kapranos then sings his detached lyrics that is then followed by a snarling chorus of “She’s not so special/So look what you’ve done boy”. The track then goes into a smooth, hypnotic tone of dark funk as Kapranos and McCarthy lead the charge with their fast, guitar swank and barreling rhythms with Kapranos singing his dark lyrics in his fast, baritone vocals. “Cheating On You” arrives with its driving, snarling guitar and bass riffs followed by Thomson’s hard-hitting drums as the band rocks out more in this song of infidelity. With its fast, mean tone and angst-ridden lyrics that includes a chorus of “I’m cheating on you/(repeat line 2 times)/You’re cheating on me”, the band plays up to its angst with irreverent catchiness and mean tone.

“This Fire” is led by the band’s funky irreverence with its fast-tapping symbols and funk-drenched guitar riffs led by Kapranos’ vocals. The band then gets rocking with its bouncy rhythm as they sing the song’s lyrics of drive and passion as they sing, “This fire is out of control/I’m going to burn this city/Burn this city” with their swanky riffs and rhythmic groove. “Darts Of Pleasure” opens up with power-driven beats and bouncy bass lines as the band leads the charge into their funk-rock sound with Kapranos singing his dark, ambiguous lyrics of sex. Kapranos and McCarthy lead the charge with their sputtering textures of funk and post-punk guitar rock with Hardy belting out loopy bass lines to Thomson’s break-beating rhythms. “Michael” comes in with its fast, driving riffs from McCarthy and Kapranos as Thomson leads the charge with his hard-hitting beats and Hardy’s bouncy bass lines. Kapranos again, sings the song with more ambiguity as he asks a guy named Michael to dance with him suggesting elements of dangerous sex as Kapranos describes his features in this irreverent wash of funk and rollicking post-punk rock.

“Come On Home” arrives with its fast, driving guitar riffs accompanied by its throbbing, funk rhythm as Kapranos sings his irreverent lyrics of detachment as he is asked to come on home. The song is then followed by an accompanying synthesizer melody playing awash with its funk-rock tone to Kapranos’ smooth vocals and the band’s fast-driving rhythms. The album closer "40'"opens up with smooth, swanky post-punk guitar riffs that are followed by a rollicking, break-beating rhythm as the band returns to the world of funk. Kapranos sings his bleak lyrics filled with references to death as it is accompanied by a catchy melody of funky rhythms and swanky guitars as the band sings, "40 feet remain” while giving the album a scary but fun close in this mid-tempo based track.

With many new bands reaching to the world of punk-pop to be recognized, Franz Ferdinand right now not only makes the best debut album of the year so far, but also one of the year’s most refreshing efforts to date. With its nice, wall-to-wall production from Tore Johansson and the band plus its swanky, driving post-punk guitar riffs that recall the work of Joy Division and Television to the funky, backbeat rhythms that just oozes down to the body. Fans who like both post-punk and funk will definitely something fresh with Franz Ferdinand as its bleak, irreverent lyrics are catchy with an edge. For some good old funk from the dark side is what you’re looking for, then go pick up the self-titled debut from Franz Ferdinand.