Franz Ferdinand ALBUM: âÄúTonight: Franz FerdinandâÄù LABEL: Domino Recording Co. Ltd There are many times in oneâÄôs life when an insatiable desire arises: the craving to get up and get down. The problem is that there are very few bands working today that have the ability to make riotous dance music that maintains its artistic integrity and stylistic quality. While some people enjoy listening to Lady GaGa pretend sheâÄôs a pants-less German robot, others prefer music that is both fun and intelligent. Franz Ferdinand is one of those bands that makes people want to rock, roll and dance all day. The Glasgow rockers just released their third album, âÄúTonight: Franz Ferdinand ,âÄù a highly danceable rock adventure packed with synthesizers, heavy beats and some of the catchiest guitar riffs ever recorded. Lead singer and guitarist Alex Kapranos delivers his lyrics with brutal power; heâÄôs not asking listeners to dance, he is forcing them. The album opens with a fairly slow-paced (by usual Franz standards) track called âÄúUlysses.âÄù The opening sets the stage for a decidedly darker album than those past. âÄúUlyssesâÄù starts off slow and steady before exploding into a heavy synth dream peppered with poppy âÄúla laâÄôsâÄù and volatile drum breakdowns. From there, the album only goes up. âÄúBite HardâÄù follows a pattern similar to âÄúUlysses.âÄù It starts with KapranosâÄô faint whisper melting with a distant piano arrangement, but forty seconds in, a murky bass and a thunderous drum kit come into play, shaking out the brief somberness that began the song and catapulting it into a world of slick guitars and rhythmic shouts. There is one low-key moment on the album; âÄúKatherine Kiss MeâÄù is a soft acoustic ballad that actually functions well as a brief reprieve from the constant drone of synth and distortion. But the tender guitar is contrasted with lyrics about a leather jacket-wearing, cigarette smoking babe that the singer wants to get busy with. Even in its delicacy this album is still rock âÄònâÄô roll. The latest effort by Franz Ferdinand is a work full of passion and charged instrumentation. It takes hold with the torrid tracks and catchy hooks and never lets go. âÄúTonightâÄù is a must-have record for anyone looking to dance the night away.