What can be said about Franz Ferdinand that hasn't already been said a thousand times over? It seems obligatory that your typical Franz review
will feature some, if not all of the following phrases: 'angular guitars',
'Gang of Four', 'disco bass', 'hi-hat', 'Talking Heads', 'post-punk'...
Quite possibly the most raucous track on You Could Have It So Much Better", The Fallen is a return to their trademark sound after a brief departure with the softer Walk Away. It's an excellent song, an album highlight and, though it won't unite-the-nation-behind-Radio 1 like Do You Want To? did, it'll certainly do well. Plus, any song which features the line "Well, who gives a damn about the profits of Tesco?" deserves to be a
big hit.
What's more interesting is how Franz have occupied a position within pop where they just about appeal to everyone, from your shy indie-boy who
will dance to Do You Want To at his local rock club, to the posing fashionista who will dress as closely as they can to Alex Kapranos, to the boozy
rugby boy who only buys one album a year. It's a privileged position, but a difficult one, at least from a critic's perspective, for their next
move decides their fate. If they become more esoteric, they alienate the pop fans and screaming girls. If they become more mainstream, they alienate a large portion of critics... whichever they choose, their next move is crucial.
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