Always ascending

"Since the release of their debut, Franz Ferdinand have teetered between the raw post-punk that won them acclaim and attempts to broaden that sound. Always Ascending arrives at a ripe time for them to experiment: after founding member Nick McCarthy left in 2016, keyboardist Julian Corrie joined the fold ... Always Ascending feels more like a first effort than the band's actual debut did. As it stands, it's a somewhat shaky but promising start for the revamped Franz Ferdinand".

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"In truth, charm might be Franz Ferdinand's last unblunted asset in 2018. Unwilling to plunge into something more personal, or at least cannibalize their obsolescence for material, the band behind Always Ascending sound unspectacular, their pop sensibilities shorn of the epicurean flair that made them iconic. It's not that they lack ideas-songs like "Huck and Jim" hint at a band more musically and politically raucous-but while the purpose is there, it all sounds gray and spectral, the mild offerings of a contrarian pop gang who lost interest in showing off".

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"Singer Alex Kapranos' wry voice is still front and centre, weighing up the merits of journalism (Lois Lane), the NHS (Huck and Jim) and the relief of finding kindred spirits (Finally) - mature topics, but delivered with a taut squelchiness honed by party person Philippe Zdar, one half of French electronic act Cassius. The changes are most audible, however, in the disco bent of Feel the Love Go, and the sudden irruption of a none-more-80s sax solo. Dancing, it seems, is more important than ever to this guitar band".

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"Franz Ferdinand er stadig et band, man forbinder med 00'erne. Gennemslagskraften dengang var helt enorm, for der var behov for deres uforskammede take på rockmusikken og deres opfordring til igen at danse til den. Siden formåede de at gentage succesen med 'You Could Have It So Much Better' fra 2005, men snart var det nye tider, og Arctic Monkey der løb med opmærksomheden. For nylig sagde guitarist Nick McCarthy farvel til bandet, nye folk kom til, og nu lyder Franz Ferdinand som et band, der er splittet mellem en karriereplan om at forny sig og et umiddelbart og forståeligt behov for at være det samme gamle band".