Franz Ferdinand – The Human Fear

It’s easy to forget now pop is largely dominated by female solo artists but 20 years ago British indie bands held sway in the UK charts.

Among the better practitioners were Franz Ferdinand, who channelled their art-rock sensibilities into writing some of the era’s catchiest tunes, most notably their breakthrough track, Take Me Out, which seemed ubiquitous throughout much of 2004.

Now the Scottish group are back with their sixth album, The Human Fear, their first album since 2018’s Always Ascending.

It’s a reliable effort that will please existing fans while not quite reigniting the creative fire that made frontman Alex Kapranos and company stand out from a sea of skinny-jeaned posers.

Opening track and lead single, Audacious, begins in recognisably Franz Ferdinand fashion, though Kapranos’s vocals have more of a smooth lilt than the spiky sound with which he made his name.

However, on its chorus it veers into something that seems to be aiming at the brass-infused grandeur of some of The Beatles’s more indulgent late tracks but ends up sounding a bit more Gary Barlow than Lennon/McCartney.

The funky Everydaydreamer is a much more sure-footed effort, with Bob Hardy’s marching bass underpinning a track that manages to sound both like one of their classic tracks and yet fresh.

The Doctor, sung from the perspective of a man who doesn’t want to leave his hospital bed due to feeling cared for, has a quirky computer-game soundtrack feel to it, while Hooked is emblematic of Franz Ferdinand’s embrace of synth-pop. There are definite traces of LCD Soundsystem there.

Build It Up and Night or Day are more forgettable, but will please devotees, with Julian Corrie’s keyboards elevating the latter. Meanwhile, Tell Me I Should Stay, which begins with a slightly baffling extended piano intro, is a bit of a chore.

Things do pick up as we get further into the second half of the record, with Black Eyelashes having a pleasing sense of vaudeville to it.

Then there’s the fun Bar Lonely, with its hints of raucous classic rock making it one to dance to. Closer The Birds feels more like retro Franz with its angular guitar lines and prominent riff.

Ultimately there’s enough to The Human Fear to keep a listener interested and it’s a good thing that bands change as they mature. However, one does wish the group had kept more of the jaggedness that once set them apart.

Mark Worgan
Photo: Courtesy of Franz Ferdinand

The Human Fear is released on 10^th January 2025. For further information or to order the album visit Franz Ferdinand’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Audacious here: