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Reader's Rating

Disc Review

Franz Ferdinand

Tonight (Domino/Sony)

By Tim Perlich

Having enjoyed remarkable success with the 80s throwback sound of their Glaswegian forebears Josef K, Franz Ferdinand are reluctant to give up the jerky post-punk grooves that got them where they are now.

Rather than risk experimenting with anything radically new, they’ve cautiously tried tweaking their tempos and varying instrumental textures here and there in hopes that listeners won’t notice that they’ve written the same song about romantic frustration in 12 slightly different ways. Sadly, recycling the lyrics of No You Girls for Katherine Kiss Me doesn’t count in their favour as an act of green.

Top track: No You Girls

NOW | January 29-February 5, 2009 | VOL 28 NO 22

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Comments

Posted by David Welsh on 01/30/2009, 12:27 AM

Wow. A successful rock band with a decent album, and the almighty Tim Perlich doesn't like it.

Seriously, can somebody fire this arrogant gasbag already? He gives music critics a bad name.

Posted by C on 01/30/2009, 09:02 PM

Yeah, this album is actually really good, a huge step forward for Franz. Doing something different, managing to escape what has happened to bands like the Strokes.

In fact this album is pretty great, so yeah, of course Perlich hates it. It might sell and divert people away from his shitty irrelevant 'picks'. Perlich has been giving anything resembling dance rock shitty reviews forever now, specifically seeming to have a bone to pick with it, and only giving any credence to the mediocre less-known-ones (of course) like Love is All.

It's time to fire Tim Perlich. The near 50-year-old douchebag is violently out of touch, and he's dragging the entire music section of Now down with him.

Posted by Felipe on 02/03/2009, 10:26 PM

Why TIM PERLICH ALWAYS give a BAD review?????????

N or NN

Posted by Elle on 02/07/2009, 11:11 AM

Since their first album, I've always had a soft spot for Franz Ferdinand. But their third album is like a shadow of what they once were, and I actually agree with this review. Most of the new songs sound really superficial and hollow... There's a strange divide among the songs between tried and true Franz Ferdinand, and dance-rock filler.