After a relatively short break, Franz Ferdinand are back, and boy do they sound refreshed. Do You Want To sounds like proof positive that they're going to avoid being accused of 'difficult second album syndrome'.
There may not have been much sign of musical progression in their year off, but this still grabs you by the scruff of the neck right from the start. There's another stomping guitar riff, it's possibly the catchiest thing you'll hear all month, and Alex Kapronos still does sexually ambiguous lyrics like no other ("Your famous friend, well I blew him before you"). There are even lines that would sound like self-parody if they weren't delivered so archly: "Well here we are at the Transmission party/I love your friends they're all so arty"
While it's true to say the element of surprise that Take Me Out possessed in spades is inevitably missing, this is still Franz doing what they do incredibly well. Official: the new Scottish gentry still rule - all bow before them.
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