Franz Ferdinand, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

Since the release of their eponymous debut back in 2004, Franz Ferdinand might be seen as something of an oddity amongst the vast majority of their contemporaries. Take for instance the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, The Rakes, The Killers and just about any other band belonging to the new wave/disco genre that dominated the music scene five or six years ago. Each of these bands plus a whole host of others, of which there are far too many too mention, burst onto the scene offering such great promise and excitement, only to return with follow ups of such uninspired banality, it seemed hopeless to expect anyone to serve up a second offering of any genuine worth.

Thankfully Franz Ferdinand managed to buck this trend of crashing disappointment by returning with 2005's 'You Could Have it So Much Better', an album charged with such unshakably infectious melodies and perfectly crafted pop songs, that many of the already lacklustre records being released at the time were rendered about as exciting as a mild bout of tinnitus. Anyway, having failed to disappoint us yet, Franz Ferdinand are back with their third album, 'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand'.

With four years having passed since their previous outing, anticipation and expectation was always going to be high. Would they be able to deliver for a third time running? The answer is a resounding YES. Furthermore, this could well be their best record to date. The band combines their obvious disco-pop sensibilities with a newfound electronic element, creating a somewhat fuller texture that has not always evident in their previous albums. The most obvious example of this has to be `Lucid Dreams'. Arguably the defining highlight of 'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand', the song builds from a typically catchy verse into an enormous, synth-laden chorus, concluding with, an admittedly slightly drawn out, four minute long electro freak-out with the omission of guitars altogether.

Other definite highlights include current single `Ulysses', a track that offers the melodic facets that dominated their debut, whilst clearly showing off their recent penchant for dirty synth hooks. `Turn it On' and `No You Girls' are instant crowd-pleasers, each with the potential for future singles. `Can't Stop Feeling' also deserves a mention, serving as perfect indicator as to how far they have come over the past four years, the track being driven by a stomping synth riff as the guitars, once again are put to one side.

While critics of the band might argue that there isn't quite enough experimentation or risk taking on offer here to attract many new fans, they certainly aren't at risk of losing any. Ultimately, this is the sound of a band genuinely enjoying themselves in the studio, which is something that translates with absolute clarity. With a third, refreshingly strident album now under their belt, one can only hope that Franz Ferdinand will be able to maintain the same high standards on their fourth outing, and on this evidence, they should have no trouble in doing so.