Even as indie fans and pop audiences alike were still grooving to Franz Ferdinand’s most impressive debut, the Scottish boys were already busy working on their next album. Released only recently, this sophomore outing should go down a treat with the band’s audience, since it carries a lot of the same elements that earned the self-titled debut a Mercury Music Award. There are, in fact, several parallels running between the more outstanding songs here and blistering songs like Matinee, Auf Achse, Take Me Out and Michael.

Not quite a band to complicate matters, the accent here lies once again on simple yet hard-hitting tunes, all bearing a pretty catchy hook whether or not they were intended to be singles. At their core, all are still reflective of the same roots that brought out the best in Alex Kapranos’ song-writing the first time around. Naturally, as with most albums, some songs soar above others, and tracks like Eleanor Put Your Boots On, closing track Outsiders, Evil And A Heathen, new single I’m Your Villain, the irresistibly groovy Do You Want To and the title track (which also reveals a punkier side to the band’s sound) highlight the album’s finer moments. But the album is, in fact, a well-crafted

collection that should go down as well (if not better over time) than its predecessor. Great stuff!

Rating: ****