Franz Ferdinand

It was the right album at the right time. In 2004, at the height of the post-punk/’80s-pop/dance-rock revivals, Scots Franz Ferdinand released their self-titled debut album, an instant hit thanks to the ubiquitous single “Take Me Out.” A quick follow up, You Could Have It So Much Better, capitalized on the group’s popularity, scoring a hit with the single “Do You Want To,” then the band laid low for a while. In the four years between the release of So Much Better and their new album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, some of the band’s star-power has worn off, as has some of their critical good will, but that could be because, unlike the one-two punch of their first albums, Tonight is a slow-grower, a richer, more mellow album that finds the band riding heavy bass instead of manically jerky dance-rock riffs.