I still remember very well the first time I listened Take Me Out. I was dazzled!
It was 2004 and Franz Ferdinand were the undisputed “hyper-cool” band of the turn of the century.
Their mix of pop, rock, alternative and indie, perfectly balanced between originality and obliqueness, made them the pillars of a scene that was about to explode worldwide. The desire to have fun, to experiment and to enchant the public with powerful and refined songs consecrated them as leaders of that new musical generation.
Today, over twenty years after that incredible debut, here they are back with “The Human Fear”, the seventh album of their career, which unfortunately follows more or less the same sound clichĂ© that made them famous.
The sensation is that of déjà vu, of a reheated soup. A work well done, produced and arranged, but which seems to retrace the same paths traveled in the past, with the illusion of keeping alive the spark of that sound that has defined their identity.
The problem for Alex Kapranos and his companions is that time has passed inexorably and the music has totally changed. That vision of an alternative, captivating and avant-garde pop rock now seems to have become a sonic prison from which Franz Ferdinand can't escape.
However, the album starts off with a fair amount of momentum. Audacious it is the track that most of all represents their desire to remain faithful to tradition. It is a song that fully embodies the spirit of the group: enveloping melodies, wave guitars, pulsating drums and continuous changes of rhythm that make the piece a perfect anthem for those who love Franz Ferdinand's music.
But as soon as we move on to the second track, Everyday Dreamerthe pace fades. The eighties synths and vaguely retro atmospheres end up watering down the power of the sound.
With The Doctorthe band tries to pick up the pace, recovering their sound signature, but the impression is that of a timid and not very incisive attempt to revitalize their trademark. The worst comes with Hookeda piece with an embarrassing chorus and an obsessive almost EDM synth that vaguely recalls Muse.
It's a little better with Build It Up And Night Or Daywho seem to want to bring Franz Ferdinand back to their best form. However, even in these songs, the repetition of old formulas and sounds struggles to be convincing. Cats tries to explore something new with an almost western retro flavour, but the outcome is perplexing.
Black Eyelashes it's another forgettable episode, with a disco-baroque combination that destabilizes with its oriental reminiscences.
Franz Ferdinand bounce back a bit by drawing on Seventies glam in songs like Bar Lonely And Tell Me I Should Staybut it's not enough to divert the impression of a band that clings to nostalgia without daring too much.
The Human Fear in the end it sounds like a middle-aged work in both sound and lyrics.
There are moments that work, still capable of capturing attention, but overall the album shows a band struggling to keep alive the pure and energetic charm of twenty years ago. What is missing, in fact, is the drive to dare, to seek new sonic horizons, to go beyond the old, well-tested formulas.
An album that, while not completely disappointing, simply floats, without managing to move and exalt like the hits of the past.
TO LISTEN NOW
Audacious – Tell Me I Should Stay – Bar Lonely
TO BE SKIPPED IMMEDIATELY
Hooked maybe. I really don't like it and then I really don't understand Black Eyelashes!
SCORE: 6.75
1. Audacious – Rating 7.50
2. Everyday Dreamer – Rating 6.75
3. The Doctor – Rating 7.00
4. Hooked – Rating 6.00
5. Build It Up – Rating 7.00
6. Night Or Day – Rating 6.75
7. Tell Me I Should Stay – Rating 7.25
8. Cats – Rating 6.50
9. Black Eyelashes – Rating 6.00
10. Bar Lonely – Rating 7.00
11. The Birds – Rating 6.75
THE VOTES OF OTHERS
Diy Magazine: Rating 9.00
Uncut: Rating 8.00
Mojo: Rating 8.00
Classic Rock: Rating 7.00
Clash Magazine: Rating 7.00
The Guardian: Rating 4.00
