Franz Ferdinand : The Human Fear

Scottish post-punkers Franz Ferdinand hit at just the right time back in the early 2000s. They emerged out of the early 2000s post-punk/dance punk revival which included The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Killers, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, and a slew of other bands that dissipated into a cloud of unrealized dreams.

Franz Ferdinand stood out thanks to singer/guitarist/keyboardist Alex Kapranos’ catchy pop hooks and songwriting skills, as well as his distinct vocals. Songs like “Take Me Out”, “Darts of Pleasure”, “This Fire”, and “Come On Home” were both heavy on the guitar riffage and dance-heavy rhythms. Their self-titled debut and it’s follow-up You Could Have It So Much Better were equal parts Orange Juice and The Kinks, with some Buzzcocks thrown in for good measure.

2009s Tonight: Franz Ferdinand leaned heavily in the dance and night club vibes, layering plenty of vintage analog synths over their guitar melodies. Since then Kapranos and Franz Ferdinand have continued to put out reliably catchy rock/dance albums that mix all their strengths in a retro musical stew. Their latest, the pop-heavy The Human Fear open the influences up to include Mott The Hoople, ELO, Queen, and even Wings. So I guess you could say this is Franz Ferdinand at their classic rock best.

The Human Fear is a relatively easy listen, and at 35 minutes it’s just the right length to keep you locked in for the entire runtime. And when it’s done you’ll find you want to go back and listen to of those tracks again. Like album opener “Audacious”, which opens on a driving, sparse post-punk clip. But just when you think you’ve heard this before from Franz Ferdinand the chorus opens into a lush symphonic production that’s part “All The Young Dudes” and “Mr. Blue Sky”. “Everydaydreamer” leans back into the early days with a prominent bass line and disco-ish drum beat. But there’s a touch of melancholy here, like a grey cloud over some outdoor dance party.

Even mediocre Franz Ferdinand has something to offer, so with an album that’s solid all the way through you’re getting your money’s worth here. “Night or Day” is a piano-heavy song that leans into McCartney and Wings vibes, and “Black Eyelashes” sounds like a gypsy dance song with buzzing guitars. “The Birds” ends things on jangly guitars and a touch of dance punk swagger.

I’m glad Franz Ferdinand survived that early aughts wave of dance/punk nostalgia. They had the songwriting chops to stick around for 20 years, and The Human Fear is proof of that.