Tonight (CD - 2009)

It's easy to tag TONIGHT: FRANZ FERDINAND, the Scottish alt-rock act's third full-length outing, as its dance-punk departure. Adorned with careening keyboards, punchy beats, and tight rhythms clearly geared towards the club (see the slinky opener, "Ulysses"), the album allows frontman Alex Kapranos to play up his winking-cad persona amidst the slick electro-pop environs of producer Dan Carey (CSS, Hot Chip). While such techno tweaking didn't necessarily suit FF's contemporaries Bloc Party, it fits the Glasgow crew quite nicely. After all, the ensemble's breakthrough hit, "Take Me Out," verged on disco, and subsequent singles didn't fall far from the dance tree either. Those worried that Franz Ferdinand have forgotten about the "rock" in their stylistic equation can rest assured that angular guitar lines still abound, particularly on the funky "No You Girls"--they've just ceded some space in the busier, often more engaging, arrangements of TONIGHT. minimize