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Sunday 7 July 2013

Franz Ferdinand - Love Illumination

Franz Ferdinand are shortly to return with "Right Actions, Right Words", which will be the first album they have had since 2009. There have been a couple of taster tracks, but the first single will be "Love Illumination". I am a big fan of Franz Ferdinand for many reasons. They brought a danceability back to British indie rock music when they first appeared. This to me led to numerous other bands I love such as Bloc Party, Friendly Fires, Arctic Monkeys and Foals for example.

They have always had catchy sing-along choruses and Love Illumination is another fine addition to their catalogue. The lead guitar line captures you right at the start of the song and hooks you in. Franz Ferdinand have always been great with guitar riffs and this 60's/70's style sounding line is the type that gets you humming straight away. This is coupled with a tight bass/drum part providing a strong foundation while snatches of the guitar hit through the verses. Then we hit the excellent insistent chorus. I also love the brass and organ that get added at this point. The verses sound as if they are sung with at least 2 or 3 singers, but I can't tell if this is Alex Kapranos double-tracking his vocals or all the band joining in, but it does sound retro in some kind of way.

It doesn't sound like Franz Ferdinand are going in a new direction. They are dancing with what brought them to the table. Guitars, catchy melodies and anthemic choruses. But why change something that has worked so well before?