Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand [First Listen]

After a three year absence, dalliances with Xenomania and rumours of a radical new direction, arena-filling Scottish four-piece Franz Ferdinand are back with”¦well, more of the same really. I only got to hear the album once all the way through (and they played it in the wrong order, so the tracklisting may be slightly awry) but here, extrapolated from my hastily scrawled notes is a brief rundown of what to expect from Tonight: Franz Ferdinand.'Ulysses' Funked up slap bass, meaty synths- the Xenomania influences are all over this one. Alex Kapranos’ voice is in particularly sibilant fettle, but at times it seems too chaotic and unfocused for its own good. It’s certainly a grower though, and it’s the obvious choice for first single.'Turn It On' Trademark Franz, in the vein of 'Do You Wanna' but less flamboyant. Annoyingly flat vocals in the mid-section mar proceedings, before going a bit Dandy Warhols in the final stretch.'No You Girls Never Know' This is more like it. 70’s space funk intro, a strong bassline, and shimmering pop production with well thought out rockier moments. Shame about the misguided slowdown towards the end, but it’s still got potential as a single.'Twilight Omens' A welcome change of pace; a bouncy number tinged with ska influence. Doesn’t really go anywhere though.'Send Him Away' Took me a while to get a measure of this, but I realised it sounds exactly like a Coral filler track. Picks up towards the end though, although they’re still obviously coasting- a shame for a band that was once so poised and focused.'Live Alone' Nice bassline, four-to-the-floor drums- this is solid indie disco fodder. Still lacks a killer chorus, and the hook seems to be recycled from one of their previous songs ('Auf Auche', perhaps?) but it’s a likable track nonetheless.'Bite Hard' Initially appearing to herald a change in direction with its plaintive 50’s-style opening verse, it eventually segues into another predictable mix of bouncy bass, angular guitars and Kapranos’ arch, sardonic delivery. It’s catchy enough, but like so much of this album it represents not an iota of progression from their previous work.'What She Came For' A similar bassline to ‘Live Alone’, but its staccato vocals, anthemic chorus and ferocious coda makes this stand out as one of the best tracks on the album.'Can’t Stop Feeling' Party times”¦or not. The heavy Ibiza synths promise more than they can deliver- whilst it seems to suggest the band are trying something genuinely new, it once again winds up with the same ‘repeated phrase’ chorus that’s sustained them through their career.'Lucid Dreams' Darker and grittier than their normal fare, the chugging guitar intro and synth-puncutated melody sounds like the theme tune to some 80’s American cop show. A return to form.'Dream Again' WTF? I don‘t know where the hell this came from, but this Justice-esque slab of distorted, dancey electronica complete with undulating synths is genuinely awesome. Is this really the same album?'Katherine Kiss Me' A ballad in the style of 'Eleanor Put Your Boots On'. Under-utilising a promising piano line, it’s pleasant without ever impressing itself of one’s consciousness. An disappointingly anti-climatic closer.So there you go. For those who desire more of the same from Franz, this album will surely be to your satisfaction. For those who hoped that they might do something a little different this time round, it can’t help but be a disappointment. Their ear for a catchy hook remains mostly undiminished, but the fact remains that’s it can’t seriously be regarded as an evolution, let alone a revolution in their sound. If this had been a rush job it’d be more understandable, but after three years such wanton lack of innovation just won‘t cut it.