Franz Ferdinand: A Mod-Pop Tone-Setter

In "Can't Stop Feeling," Franz Ferdinand tinkers with its formulas while retaining its core sound.

courtesy of the artist

The Scottish band Franz Ferdinand broke big in 2004, but to whom much is given, much is expected. Fortunately, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand finds the gangly mod-pop quartet tinkering with its formulas, implementing innovative production and unique instrumentation while retaining its core sound. (Eastern European keyboards? Check! A human skeleton as a percussion instrument? Why not?)

"Can't Stop Feeling" is a perfect catalyst for pre-party mood-setting, as Jamaican dub and throbbing synths boost singer-guitarist Alex Kraponos' lilting vocals to energetic heights. The result is a call to action that lands somewhere between Talking Heads and Kaiser Chiefs, a territory Franz Ferdinand still rules. But progressives be warned: Despite the three-year wait between albums, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand prizes experimental production over experimental performance. The album is classic Franz Ferdinand — now that its legacy stretches far back enough to have a "classic" era — and songs like "Can't Stop Feeling" are essentially more of what audiences have come to expect. Fortunately, in this band's case, that's not a bad thing.

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