Reviews (page 5 of 14)
"Take Me Out" is a triumph of indie rock catchy weirdness. It might even top a few lists of "best indie rock song of all time" because it really encapsulates what is so great about the genre; the guitars are inventive, the vocals are so genuine and cool, it grooves so well, is completely unpretentious and does its own thing, and the whole vibe is really awesome. When I hear that first guitar strum I immediately get ready to feel pumped, and when the groove breaks at 1:05 I am compelled to do my one little cool guy indie rocker head bob dance. It's an awesome song. It's just a shame that the rest of the record doesn't have other tracks of that magnitude. Listening now full through for the first time in a long time, I'm kind of perplexed actually, because it seems like all of these tracks have the ingredients of a truly great indie rock song, but they are maybe just spread out too thin. The opener, "Jacqueline" has amazing guitar parts that are crisp and technical and have that great Strokes-esque spanky indie quality that's in "Take Me Out". But the vocal melody is lacking- it's kind of subdued and not as in your face. And this listening and analysis experience happens throughout the rest of the album. Cool parts, but nothing comes together and meshes as well as that track. I do really like the contrasting B sections / bridges / breaks in this album. They're not only great glue for the more prominent parts to hold together, but they are in my opinion often just as memorable and catchy. I love this album cover. Those tan yellows are so perfect, and the type and font choice is all so clean. It's a hard rate for me, because it's probably between a 3 and a 4, but "Take Me Out" is just so good that even if it's a 3 I gotta raise it up to a 4.
Fantastic album. Loved how it sounded. It's very catchy, I was bumping my head the whole time listening to it.
Really good and I liked seeing the influence on the future.
"Take Me Out" is one of the most iconic 2000's indie/alt rock songs of all time. This album rocks.
Indierock-Lowlands-Darlings Franz Ferdinand, een band waarvan ik heb gehoord maar nooit echt naar heb geluisterd? Althans dat dacht ik tot Take me out voorbij kwam, deze ken ik wel! Het tempo ligt best wel hoog, zowel qua BPM als qua tempo door het album, de nummers zijn niet te lang en zelfs het album is met 11 nummers allesbehalve te lang. Dat alleen al is een hele fijne 'change of pace' van de lange ingewikkelde of ontzettend trage rock albums die ik heb gehad en dat zorgt er al voor dat ik er wat meer voor ga zitten. Iets verder op het album durf ik te zeggen dat ik het echt naar mn zin heb met dit album! Het rockt, en niet op een vervelende boomer manier ofzo, maar gewoon op een goed tempo wat ik wel echt ff kan waarderen. Misschien is het omdat het een vrijdag is, maar zo af en toe kan ik best wat rock hebben, gelukkig maar want ik moet nog zo'n 500 rock albums. Instrumentaal gaat Franz Ferdinand echt goed, het tempo zit hoog, en het klinkt ook vrolijk. Ik zit hier eigenlijk wel echt met een lach achter de pc, dit voelt als een perfect vrijdag album. Heerlijke muziek, zang is prima en het rockt gewoon goed. Dit is een goed verdiende 4 sterren. FAVO: Take me out, The dark of the matinee, Cheating on you, This Fire
I was expecting some pretty mid Strokestic Monkeys type stuff here, but these guys sound loads more confident and cool than their contemporaries
Um clássico millennial. Passava toda hora na 89 e mtv. Valeu a nostalgia
Great album. Maybe 4.5?
Looking forward to revisiting this album.
4/5
Very listenable, even though I’m not sure whether I would gravitate towards it while I’m on a walk or exercising. Listened to it at work while I was working at the office.
Before Listening: I know a couple Franz Ferdinand songs and really like them! Looking forward to this one! After Listening: This was so much fun and I was just dancing the whole way through! I didn’t realize “Michael” was on this album, but it brought back so many great memories of karaoke with my friends and just jumping and dancing and living! There wasn’t a song I didn’t enjoy!
Back in the day when people bought papers and magazines I used to read the NME quite a lot. Mainly my mates unless there was a freebie or so going (as I was all about the Magazines Like Q, Select, Vox and later Mojo). The NME were responsible for helping break a lot of bands and one of the things they used to do was an annual NME tour (Brats, shockwave and so on). They used to have 4 up and coming bands. In 2004 the first band on in the evening and possibly the best IMHO was Franz Ferdinand. Energetic, stylish and poppy you kind of new you would hear them again. The debut album also came out in 2004 and having seen the tour on the 8th February and no doubt having voraciously consumed all of the reviews I would have bought this the very next day when it came out on the 9th. I am grateful to have purchased in the days when ltd releases and bonuses came if you bought early (not in a repackage) so the CD came with a bonus Live at the Paradiso CD as well. The main album is just around 40 minutes of Art School Punk Pop. Yes it does seem to draw influence from bands like Gang of Four and Television but this was the early naughtiest and so having a fresh hound vibrant band like this was great. I seem to remember that in an interview they said they just wanted to make music that Girls could dance to and they certainly did that. Indie discos every wear played tracks like Take Me Out and I imagine they still do now. In fact seeing the, recently on the telly box playing Glastonbury or somewhere they were still playing a fair few from this album and the audience certainly knew the tunes. Whilst making people dance you can certainly tell that this debut album was made by art school kids and they certainly had an image, but that’s what we want yeah? The album is quite varied musically but relies on angular and tight playing structured so some songs switch tempos and move from laid back to punchy and in your face. Perhaps Germanic? It is also lyrically interesting as well and it is certainly a great debut. It does stand the test of time and as it is a debut I would give it four stars. It was good to catch up with it again. For reference the other three bands on the NME tour were The Von Bondie’s, The Rapture (also great) and the headline act Funeral For A Friend
Really fun album. Had a great time listening, just super upbeat and enjoyable overall. My favorite was Tell Her Tonight or Take Me Out.
January 4, 2026 - January 4, 2026 -After listening to two Beatles albums, I feel like the influence they had on bands moving forward is more clear. -Waaaait I totally forgot they did the intro song to Cyberpunk!!! (This Fire)
i’ve discovered this before
Meshes together really well without being too samey. Good energy. This Fire is a bop.
Knew take that
This is so good. 4 stars
Top notch rock with a few classics
Energetic and artsy. What a great album to dance to. They do have the try-hardness of an art school band but unlike my friend ruaridhs band they actually pull it off. Imagining playing the barras and saying “this next songs called The Dark of the Matinee” and people actually cheer. That’s how cool this band is. I think it’s probably my favourite of the British garage rock stuff.
pretty good!! nothing crazy
great album with hyping vibes fav song from the album: 40'
Would
Classic indie rock/alternative album, it's from the era of it
Great album, really enjoyed this one. Only knew the one hit 'Take Me Out so was pleasantly surprised by some of these, especially The Dark of the Matinee, Michael, Tell Her Tonight and Jacqueline. A high 3.5/5
Can’t believe I never thought to listen to another song by them. Actually criminal behavior on my part
Forgot how good this was. Reminds me of playing tony hawk for the ps2
an indie classic and an album I listened to a lot back in high school. Feels somewhat dated now but some of these songs still hit with the same energy. Solid good album!
Reminiscing on middle school was very fun, loved this group. Hadn’t listened to all of it though which was great.
Saw a girl in a Franz Ferdinand t-shirt. She couldn't even name 3 other main causes of the outbreak of World War I.
This one took me back as I owned this CD back in the day. Take Me Out, Jacqueline, The Dark of the Matinee, This Fire are standouts on this album. Solid album.
Very nostalgic for me so it's difficult to be objective or imagine I'm listening with fresh ears, but I think it definitely holds up.
Estuvo bueno, es un rocksito tipo indie. Me recuerda mucho a arctic monkeys
4/5
Loved it listening to it in Tassie eating dinner with Lisa
80
I don't remember ever hearing anything on this album besides "Take Me Out" which I have always loved. Glad to hear the rest.
This was the pick me up album on the indy scene at the time. Still holds!
lowk jacqueline my favourite despite take me out being on here
already knew take me out, but it’s an amazing first pick. loved the vibe
This was quite good, especially compared to a band like the libertines. The first half was exceptionally good, especially the first track and the obvious, take me out. However, the album began to run a bit thin in the middle before picking up a bit on the last 2 tracks. 4/5
7/10
I'd only heard the one popular song, but quite liked the whole thang.
8.0/10
Wonderful indie rock
What can I say? It's a good album. It has good songs. Does any of it blow me away? No. It could just be me. I do like their songs for a time and then it fades quickly. The one exception to this is the song "Ulysses" which came later than this album. I would definitely listen again to this, but its not really my favorite. Biggest Hit - Take Me Out Miss - Jacqueline Surprise - The Dark of the Matinee
Bon, quelques morceaux qui sortent du lot, le reste un peu générique mais très agréable, album cohérent
take me out mejores canciones de la historia cambio al rock para siempre innovacion 4/5
🔟
Take me out. 4/5
Heck of a debut album from these boys. "THE" Bands ruled the airwaves in 04 and it was in heavy rotation for me when it dropped. While they didn't reach these heights again this is just an all around great rock album. Fun, catchy songs with bravado. Hard not to enjoy this.
One massive hit. No bad songs really. Short.
I was surprised to open this albums reviews and see so much negativity for what I remember to be a very good very competent debut album but then I see this term of "landfill indie" being thrown around like a hot potato. While I totally get the concept, the idea of the revival of indie being pretty disingenuous and repetitive/lacking a future makes sense. That being said this album does not apply. The album is a clean and finely tuned indie showcase, and even if it wasn't I couldn't even consider putting down an album that has both Take Me Out and This Fire on it. Suave and charismatic vocals both play a pleasant lead or an entirely fitting supplement to what is a collection of very very good riffs. That being said, two lead singles with the strength of the aforementioned songs does mean that I was hoping with every song to get something of the same quality and while the album was well beyond serviceable it never quite matches those highs. Michael comes close though. As annoyed as people may be about the genre and ultimately blame this album among a handful of others for leading this genre this is easily a cut above much of the rest, and I am far for blaming an entire genre, whether I like said genre or not, on a band who had no intention of causing that influence. But that does indeed make it influential beyond just being a fun record that I'd recommend entirely giving a listen for just two or three songs but thankfully this IS a good album top to bottom, just inconsistent in how it bounces good to phenomenal and back to just good. Best songs: Take Me Out, This Fire Worst song: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 12/24 (Below The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady, above Heavy Weather) Worth noting looking at this list that I was too harsh on Heavy Weather, so I am swapping it at Nighthawks At the Diner (now 13th and 14th respectively)
Fun album, great indie sound.
"Franz Ferdinand" is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. Post-punk revival and dance punk are the Wiki-listed genres. The album was recorded at Gula Studios in Malmö, Sweden, with producer Tore Johansson. The bandmembers included Alex Kapranos (lead vocals, guitar), Mike McCarthy (guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Bob Hardy (bass) and Paul Thomson (drums, percussion). Commercially, the album reached #3 on the UK Album Chart and #32 on the US Billboard 200 and had universal critical claim as a "masterpiece of funky, punky, suave cool." In 2004, it also won the UK Mercury Prize. "Jacqueline" opens the album with soft vocals and an acoustic guitar. The band kicks in with a rockin', driving post-punk guitar. A weird story lyrically about a drunk man, Ivor, and a 17-year old Jaqueline...a desire to escape the mundane work for holiday. The first song I remember from the band was "Take Me Out." An anxious guitar and beat. A dance groove develops. A great guitar riff and a song where the a guy is hesitant to make the first move. The next song "The Dark of the Matinee" is just as catchy. A slow-fast-slow dynamic going in another song about trying to evade the mundane. Antsy guitar slashes open "This Fire." Layered vocals with a repeating chorus. A paranoid anxiety vibe pervades as the song ends chaotically with the guitar. The next song and first single, "Darts of Pleasure," continues the theme of passion, desire and seduction. Kapranos doing his best Bryan Ferry. The music on this album is mostly driven by jittery, urgent and layered guitars with rock and dance beats: Pop, rock and dance-fused songs. The influences are post-punk for sure recalling Pere Ubu and Joy Division. Catchy beats, riffs and vocal choruses. The songs have clever lyrics with themes of frustrations in relationships and life in general although there are several songs about pure and simple sexual desire. This is a solid album; The band has never quite reached this level of music on subsequent albums. A album worth checking out.
I only knew their hits, but this entire album is quite solid . 8/10
Very good album for driving. Highlights: Jacqueline, Take Me Out, The Dark of The Matinée, Cheating on You.
This started out great, but I just found that it lost steam towards the end. Got a bit monotonous. Still, some good stuff on here. Take Me Out is a great song, some others hit for me as well. Liked it, better than average, not amazing though.
Super fun!
3.5*
reminds me of my dad. good!
Similar to the pixies, British rock standard pretty good 9/10
A good rock/pop album! I remember listening to these guys late elementary- early middle school days.
Fun album.
An indie rock staple. Half of it is some of the coolest rock of the time and I don’t remember the other half already but recommend Jacqueline, take me out, 40’, come on home, dark of the matinee, cheating you and take her home. It is very strokes inspired but so solid
Def a vibe
Really good album, no songs I didn't like and there was a lot of variety in each song that kept it interesting the whole way through. Just a lot of fun the whole way through and good music for the gym. Might be my first 5? Fav song: Dark of the Matinee It was pretty good, some banging songs. Still only 4 stars for me tho! Fave songs: Dark of the Matinee and Come on Home
From the outset Franz Ferdinand's eponymous album has a great use of dynamics, it's full of melody, driving rhythms and dramatic, jagged guitar riffs. The vocals suit the music perfectly. The production is tight and polished, allowing each instrument to cut through clearly, showcasing the band's musical precision. The result is a collection of songs that are both clever and for the most part, irresistibly catchy, punchy and fun. Four-stars. Stand out tracks "Jacqueline", "Take Me Out", "The Dark of the Matinée", "Darts of Pleasure" and "Michael". 1 "Jacqueline" (5/5) 2 "Tell Her Tonight" (4/5) 3 "Take Me Out" (5/5) 4 "The Dark of the Matinée" (5/5) 5 "Auf Achse" (4/5) 6 "Cheating on You" (3/5) 7 "This Fire" (4/5) 8 "Darts of Pleasure" (5/5) 9 "Michael" (5/5) 10 "Come on Home" (4/5) 11 "40'" (4/5) Total - 48 Average - 4.36 179/1001 97/179 albums reviewed were new to me.
Great album, great energy, ok lyrics. The vibe is there though, very uplifting, and -hate to admit it- irrotatingly catchy, in a good way.
Just a very good banging indie album
Good rocking LP.
Great alt-rock hipster anthem album.
Aka "Scottish Strokes by Scottish Strokes."
As fun and dancey as the day it dropped. They have a very limited range of what they can do, but they do that one thing very well.
Solid album that brings mw back to high school. A tight album with iconic guitar riffs, that distant but intense vocal tone, and drums that give a sense of urgency. Overall, a great album, but a few cuts short of perfect. 4/5
Take Me Out is an all time indie club banger, unfamiliar with the rest of the record but I liked it
Estou até surpreso por ter gostando tanto deste álbum que, por algum motivo, nunca quis ouvir e sempre julguei como ruim. Já conhecia "Take Me Out" (que é uma baita música) mas, por algum motivo, nunca quis conhecer a banda. Que grata surpresa ouvir esse disco, me levou de volta para 2016 (apesar de ser de 2004), me lembrando ótimas bandas como Arctic Monkeys e The Killers. Dou 4 estrelas mas, por pouco, não leva um 5. O melhor que ouvi até agora.
Njihov debelo najbolji
Good distinct sound without being repetitive or boring
4 out of 5. Credit where it's due, this album was better than I thought it would be.
Solid, fun pace and felt like I was playing Madden again.
I hated this band when they first came out but going back and visiting many of these 2000s indie records is a great experience
Really dug this one, great pop rock album
i havent listened to this and i'm blind calling it a 4 or 4.5 outta 5. never callin a 5 early... but.... ok i listened to it 3.75/5, round up
bangers
I occasionally find myself with albums I can’t get through when I’m listening to them for the first time. This is one of these records. Initially it did not click with me at all, I did not vibe with it. I was actually annoyed by the guitars and the screechy singing. But I’m committed to finish each album on the list. So I had to return to it multiple times because I could never get through it in one sitting. But what can I say? This album is a damn grower and it grew on me a lot. I’m still a bit annoyed by the parts I mentioned before but now I’m stick with these catchy songs and choruses. Damn.
Nostalgia boost but genuinely a really good album! Loads of variations between tracks whilst still maintaining a consistent sound
I love this band and I like this album. It’s pretty good. Few of the songs live up to “Take Me Out,” which in my opinion is a stone-cold classic and one of the best rock songs of the ‘00s, but I do like “Dark of the Matinee” and “Michael” a lot. This is probably a 3.5 album and it’s pushing the limits of the designation but I’ll still put it on my must-listen list, #251.
The nostalgia I feel for this album clearly plays a part. But I enjoyed listening to this album again way more than I thought I would. Criticisms that it rips off television, the wire, sparks. Well yea, that’s music. Otherwise we might as well all go back to listen to beethoven. You could have a “indie disco” night and just play this album twice and call it a night. If you hate that you won’t like this album. But I remember those nights and they weren’t all bad.
In the Take Me Out video, the drummer looks like Jim Carey. Moving on. This is the type of band that you’re never looking for but when you hear them you realize it’s not so bad. But also, it’s not great. Don’t get me wrong. There really isn’t anything wrong either, it just hovers in that realm of ho hum. The music keeps on moving. That’s good. It’s sort of poppy rock . More in the realms of Pulp without the naughtiness . Choice cut: Take Me Out
Stunning for a debut album, definitely their best. Captured a moment in time that became Indie Sleaze. #GlasgowBand
Ye it's cool
Great album, dry at times
A staple of modern alt rock with hits like take me out
I really like the whole Indie/Punk Revival kind of scene from the 2000s, and while this is definitely one of the weaker albums from the whole scene I've listened to, that's more of a testament to Post-Punk Revival than it is something against Franz Ferdinand. I like the album calling back a lot to the CBGB Club kind of sound from the 80s, especially in Tell Her Tonight. The band sometimes gets a little too early Arctic Monkeys, but the album as a whole is at least a good time and at most incredibly fun.
Nice
Franz Ferdinand’s debut still hits with a sharp, nervy energy that made early-2000s guitar rock feel exciting again. The band’s knack for tight, angular riffs and dance-floor rhythms is undeniable, and Alex Kapranos delivers each line with a sly theatrical flair — nowhere more perfectly than the iconic “Ich heiße Super Fantastisch!” on 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦. The full tracklist stays remarkably catchy, stylish, and immediate, and while the formula eventually became overused by others, here it still sounds fresh, confident, and effortlessly cool.
So 2004. Played it to death _21_ years ago. I don't want to listen to it again. Maybe "This Fire" gets a pass from me on the Burnout 3 soundtrack.
Great debut album, liked it from the first song. A couple tunes in I realized the singer was reminded me of Iggy Pop on Lust for Life, but way more skill and drama. Then the track Michael rips the album open and seals the deal. If you told me this was the missing great Bowie followup to Let's Dance I'd believe it. 4 on two listens, I'm sure it'll be 5 by New Years.
Franz Ferdinand was the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. His last words were, "Sophie, Sophie! Don't die! Live for our children!". When asked about his own injury, he repeatedly said, "It is nothing". He spoke these words as he was dying after being shot in Sarajevo in 1914. Franz Ferdinand was shot because the Black Hand decided to assassinate him because of his perceived threat to Serbian independence. The more I learn about this Franz Ferdinand guy I didn’t see the bands origin name connecting to the archduke. Turns out the band is named after a race horse that was named after Franz Ferdinand and the band liked the alliteration. Overall an enjoyable Sunday morning listen making pancakes for a bunch of neighbours.
Pretty solid album. Had some pretty fun and classic songs on here
Can somebody tell me which one Franz Ferdinand is? Bass player perhaps? Is Franz even in the band? If i focused more, Id have more to say, was listening mostly whole making waffles, and it improved the waffle making experience. Great voice, great guitar, and Take me Out is an absolute classic.
Franz Ferdinand really tapped into something here. Plenty of a bangers here, a few duds too, but a strong album overall. Still holds up pretty well.
Such an indie classic, the riffs are so on point and it's just banger after banger. Possibly the most seminal indie record of the early 2000s. In many ways it feels like a time capsule for another world and a time when bands were still relatively popular, in 2025 it feels that there are less bands like FF.
I've already listened to his album (27). Still holds up, and ages pretty gracefully.
Solid all the way through and holds up quite nicely 20 years later.
Went into this thinking it would be standard indie, but it had an interesting tinge of punk as well as really strong bass the whole time. Kinda expected to just know Take Me Out and that be it. Pleasantly surprised at how good the entire album is.
I very much enjoyed Franz Ferdinand at Oceans Calling this year. I also did not realize just how damn Scottish they were. Take Me Out was so much damn fun and is a song of my childhood. Auf Achse is incredible. Come On Home is going to be stuck in my head. That was great! Very easy to boogie to. After a few listens this honestly might be a 5, but going high 4 here.
It takes a few songs to get going but by the end I really enjoyed the album.
I would simply describe this album as enjoyable. Nothing groundbreaking, but there was no song that wasn't enjoyable to listen to. I especially enjoyed some of the less popular tracks in the second half of the album.
Funket da, funker fortsatt. Godt album og en monsterhit.
ooo the Mid 2000's... what a moment for quirky rock bands on the pop charts. i miss it so.
3.5/5
I really enjoyed this one. Knew a few of the songs before but had never listened to the album. Would definitely listen again. Maybe a tad similar to each other but it’s a short album so that didn’t really bother me. Fav song: Take Me Out - also liked Fire and Michael Least fav: Cheating On You
Very close to being 5 stars. Really liked this album, lots of great songs and while I'd heard a couple most of them were new to me. I'll definitely be listening to the whole album again! Favourite: The Dark of the Matinee Least: Tell Her Tonight
Love the hits, Loved some of the other songs too, overall solid representation. Wish Michael was on this album though.
Very solid. Couple of known bangers and more discovered. It's a good mid-range energy music for me.
Love the energy on this album. I know very little about this band aside from the obvious songs, but all members seem to stand out. Great guitar work, but the bass and drums are so on point driving each track.
very fun, i thought this would be mid but i really enjoyed it
Fun pop rock. Some gang of four influence for sure. Not all that memorable outside of the hit single, but decent throughout. 3.5/5
It's actually pretty solid, better than I expected. Take me out is legendary, but I am enjoying some other tracks as well, not bad.
Fun music, with plenty of tempo changes to keep things interesting.
Fun! I love Take Me Out, not sure why I didn't check out the rest of the album.
When this came out in 2004 it fit within the other guitar bands who were starting to make some noise as the ebb and flow of indie rock was suddenly on the uptick again. The Strokes arguably started the post-punk revival along with The White Stripes, Interpol, Maximo Park, Bloc Party, Modest Mouse etc and the Glaswegian Franz Ferdinand fit nicely along side those bands with a funky approach to post punk with razor sharp hooks and solid bass lines. Ignoring the monster hits, This Fire and perhaps Michael, this debut is interesting from beginning to End. Jacqueline with its lengthy intro and frenetic second half gets the party started and introduces the cutting clean guitar tone that is the hallmark of the album and repeated on several songs. Tell Her Tonight keeps up the interest with a catchy, albeit repetitive hook throughout. For me, the most interesting song on the LP is 40’ which is interesting lyrically, vocally and musically with a hook which sounds like an inversion of the hook in Take Me Out. The closest Franz Ferdinand gets to traditional post punk is Auf Asche with its synthesizer intro before breaking into a more traditional electronic post-punk track. It’s still kind of upbeat for a song about desire for a woman you can’t touch. There are no duds on this record and it captures a particular post-punk sound remarkably well. Alex Kapranos is a good vocalist and keeps the album from descending into just average. 4/5
Early aughts indie that struck big with Take Me Out. A fun, boppy album with pop influences along with rock and funk that fits in perfectly with the indie scene in England at the time. Not the most creative lyrics, but every song is catchy and high energy. Themes of being a young man and poor decision making, particularly where hitting on women is concerned. My main takeaway in the lyrics was the desperation and games that men played to try and seduce women and the frustration that comes out of the continued rejection. All that said, the guitar and bass riffs are spectacular. The vocals work incredibly well, and the drums elevate the tempo of every track.
Love this record.
Egentlig et ganske bra album.
Now this a solid alt rock album. Maybe not groundbreaking, but still a great listen.
I enjoyed it but it did contain a lot of indie cliches. But thats fine because i enjoyed it right?
Favorites: 40’, Auf Achse, Come on Home, Take Me out ( of course).
A classic and full of bangers
Reminds me of some punk music I like, and at times the Beatles. Upbeat.
This album basically defined indie rock in the early 2000s. Take Me Out still bangs 20+ years later. Easy and fun to jam out to and most of the tracks are consistently good.
Great debut!
Very solid. Some great riffs throughout, with only one song that I didn't particularly like. 4/5
Grew up on this one and it still holds up, and not in a simple nostalgia way. Unique sound, consistently fun and danceable, with a dark undertone. Love it.
So much better than I expected
Good, saved one song
Great early 2000s rock album
71/100. Some fantastic stuff on this record. It's a punchy, punkish indie rock debut. “Take Me Out” is the undeniable highlight.
Their first and best album. Everything after this had a song or two I liked, but wasn't nearly as solid.
This record still bangs. Maybe my favorite of the New Wave necrophiliacs to pop up post-Strokes, but I’ve always been partial to rock you can dance to.
Ich heisse Super Fantastic!
Nothing but clever bangers - THAT song transcended everything and makes a worthy entry into the rock/pop pantheon. There's genuinely something for everyone here, as the album energetically jumps between massive hooks and frenetic grooves. How the fuck is this album more than 20 years old? Totally of its time, but still sharp as anything! Favourite tracks: Jacqueline, Take Me Out, Dark of the Matinee, This Fire, Darts Of Pleasure - basically all of it!
Great album, chunky riffs, has a slightly rough production value to it. The songs are fun, energetic. Aside from Take Me Out which naturally is the best song, I think Michael is the track I've always enjoyed the most.
There's a few decent song in there but it doesn't really feel like a cohesive album. I think the indie classics rescue it
Instantly transports me to Portsmouth NH early 2000’s and holds up much better then other pop punk albums released around this time.
Better than I remember and I liked this before
banger
This is one of the first albums I discovered when I was in my early teens just getting into music, and it still holds up.
Well this was pretty good all around, and Take Me Out is such a great track. Some of the riffs on the later songs sounded kinda similar, but still, a solid 4.
An excellent debut album from an interesting time, I saw FF live in late 2004 following the release of this album and the songs left an impact on me.
Classic 2004 vibes
Sounds of Television and Talking Heads, a strong example of early 2000s rock. Although “Take Me Out” will always be on a level of its own, this album was much more interesting than I knew.
I’m not sure why I feel like this is a few years ahead of its time. I was 10 when it released, so can’t really speak on the cultural shift it may or may not have created. However, this type of music will always awaken a coming-of-age wanderlust feeling within me.
My sister def had this on rotation growing up
a primeira música do álbum ja me conquistou, o estilo indie rock é um dos gêneros que tenho mais escutado nos últimos tempos, apesar da segunda faixa ter caído um pouco, a terceira voltou a trazer um ótimo ritmo para o álbum, com o maior sucesso da carreira da banda; this fire retoma o gosto das primeiras faixas, seguida de outras quatro músicas que gostei bastante, fechando a trilha. apesar de não ter adicionado todo o álbum à minha biblioteca, reconheço que é um trabalho muito bem feito, e merece uma boa nota
Take Me Out classic
I only knew Take Me Out but the other songs are quite good too. I listened passively but I liked it. I feel I need to listen to the lyrics more carefully because I did not understand the first song was about a girl named Jacqueline.
Glad I listened to it rather than just listening to take me out over and over. There’s some other really good songs here. Last half kinda lost me a bit but overall it was a very fun listen.
Brilliant loved it then love it now. Still seems fresh great riffs good vocals and beats lyrically good. Cool alround it kicks in all the right places
Good album! Used to listen to them a lot when they were big in early 2000s
Distinctive guitar and vocals. Some "catchy" tunes. Not sure I can listen to an entire album, but one sound here or there is fun to listen to.
This album was much better than I remember.
Fey indie boys actually make quite a banger of an album. Cod-disco beats with hooks a plenty. Good fun and probably still gets played to death in indie discos. I remember the first time round when it did. Best Tracks: Take Me Out; The Dark of the Matinee; 40'
This album starts with a shot wow - Jacqueline - one of the great openers for a band. And is remarkable afterwards too. It’s still probably the best song but others round out their promise of amped up dance guitar rock with disco syncopations and ironic delivery galore.
Mostly all fire tracks - a few that are a bit too repetitive, but for the most part a great listen
That's a good one.
It feels a bit outdated, sounds a lot like early 2000s. Still a good album
My favorite band for a while in high school
Those funky, punky, exuberant Scots. Not my style, but I can see the appeal. Album ties together.
Wow this album brought me back to college.
Enjoyable en quite influential in the early 2000's. A bit repetitive musically but a good listening experience. 4/5
I shouldn't be trusted to give an unbiased opinion as this came out in my early teens and is embedded in my dna.
This evokes a fair amount of nostalgia- this album was big when I first went to uni in Summer 2005. While I never listed to the album myself it was impossible to escape many of these songs at the time and a lot of my friends from school were really into FF. I do like the sound overall, many of the tracks have an exciting driving tempo to the guitar. The production seems a bit thin- I dunno what I really mean by that and not sure I could describe it but just a feeling I get that there's a lack of some depth.
Franz Ferdinand, _Franz Ferdinand_ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It's solid and listenable all the way through and borders on _banger_. This came from a solid rock'n'roll era, so not easy to do. Particularly enjoyable for its jumps between multiple styles. While enjoyable, not headed to back to revisit. But if a friend or date put this on the turntable, I'm down.
Got this one day of release
Sounded like bowie the first couple songs. Then heard the one I new. Not bad, not my style
good good, had to turn down the sound system in my dorm
8/10
Outside of the colossal hit, Take Me Out, I really enjoy the unique voice and sound of FF. The entire album is a classic indie album for me. They may not have been able to endure it long term, but this one will live on my shelves.
I didn't think i would like this. I was nicely surprised though. Very tight album, good songs, VERY early 2000s. I'll come back to this one when the mood strikes. 7/10
Enjoyed this quite a bit. “Take Me Out” and “Michael” were my favorite songs, but I more or less liked every song here. It’s that early 2000s indie that actually succeeds at what it’s trying to do. I really wish I could give half star ratings because this is a 3.5 for me, but I have to round down in this case. I really liked it, just not quite as much as other albums I’ve given 4 stars lately. This is a 3, but a very high 3. Wouldn’t be surprised if I re-evaluate at some point and give it a 4. Definitely deserves its spot on the list. Edit: Nevermind, I re-evaluated quickly, and it’s a 4.
This is such a fun jam.
very very good
Take me out is fun and overall solid
I still remember leaving MTV or something similar on at a sleepover and watching the Take Me Out music video about 20 times as it re-aired like clockwork. The rest of this album is pretty good. Thankfully no weird experimental stuff.
Good stuff
This Fire and Take Me Out are some real bangers that lift this album up above average. This was a nice throwback to my changing of music tastes as I was in my late teens. Also guitar hero as frick.
Normally I think so called “iconic” mid 2000’s British indie rock albums are overrated as fuck. But this album had an energy and a sense of fun that really clicked with me. Take Me Out is the standout track but I’d forgotten about This Fire as well. Plus a song called Darts of Pleasure tickles me just right. Good time!
Pure early 2000s rock, sounds a lot like Arctic Monkey's records from this era. Pleasant listen all the way through.
Every dog has its day. And today, indie rock had its day.
I like it a lot! Didn't make the connection between this band and 'Take Me Out'. - Auf Achse
Good energy! Let’s go!
I knew a few tracks on this one from back in the day, and liked them all. I shouldn't say I'm surprised that most of the other ones were pretty damn good, too, but I will say that I'm surprised it took me this long (and this generator) to finally hear it all. Maybe my biggest takeaway is how melodic and lovely the vocals can be among the loud, banging rhythms and big old riffs. I never noticed that.
They have a great garage band feel. I like their song for Cyberpunk Edgerunners "This Fire", the songs "Take Me Out" and "Come on Home"
Nice enough and rather engaging art-pop, not bad for a debut album. I'm still most familiar with their collaboration with Sparks.
Overall enjoyed it… a couple songs in the middle started to sound the same with that gritty/clipping noise
Killer vibes - double meaning
More my style
super je ovo!
Initial impression - ENERGY. Every song has a driving quality, likely owed to the disco drum beat that they use so frequently, but it works for this style. Immediately listenable, no challenge whatsoever. Relatively simple in the song structure and lyrics, but the feel is consistently strong, and the vocals are a delightful mix of Dead or Alive, Talking Heads, and maybe The Killers. Several of the lead and bass riffs play in my head even the day after listening, and I'm impressed with what sounds the drummer created with a three-piece kit. Kind of curious about their later work now...
Holder sgu stadig
Classic album for the time but with a slight twist on the sound being a bit more brittish. not quite top tier but very good album
Peak
Excellent tone, iconic for the time period and the scene. Some tracks have an odd combination of choruses and bridges, that do not feel like they should bend together or need a slighter slide into each other. Some really great riffs, excellent vocals, and at best mediocre lyrics. Absolute Bangers: Take me Out, Michael, 40' Great Ones: Jacqueline, This Fire, Auf Achse, Come on Home Solid: The Dark of Matinee, Cheating on You, Darts of Pleasure Absolute recommendation, overall not required to be played as whole, a bunch of quality individual tracks.
Used to listen to this a lot in my late teens. Take Me Out was a huge hit of course but there's a lot of either fun or good songs on here.
This sound was everywhere at the time - for a good reason. I had actually never listened fully through this particular album, but it didn't disappoint.
Fun, imaginative, unique. The British Strokes. I like these guys a lot.
classics are classics for a reason and this is a classic
Seems like a one-hit wonder band, but their minor hits are good. I really enjoyed most of this
Great time capsule. A fun and honest album that shows how life in 2004 was.
I only knew these guys from "Take Me Out" and I figured there was a reason for that. Look this type of indie rock from the 2000's are always going to be my thing, even if this one toes the line, but I'm not going to pretend like this was revolutionary or something. 7/10
Good
4/8
no complaints here. borderline great
ok
Franz Ferdinand dominated the middle years of university airplay. I even sang it on Singstar I think haha. One of the first bands to make the indie angular post punk guitar sound popular in the early mid 2000s.
Mostly fun but a few very forgettable tracks throughout. 7/10
Sick, obviously Take Me Out and Darts of Pleasure are classic but found some other bangers! Not a 5 because a couple songs I didn’t absolutely love but this is the highest 4 in a while. I think I’m being harsh idk
Pretty cool, catchy tunes. Alt/punk vocals. Pop leaning rhythms but with more of an alt rock instrumentation across the board.
Another great debut album. FF has a unique sound (thought similar to The Killers and others) that I dig. Good song writing, good execution.
HELL YEAH! I grew up with some of these tunes and I'm biased but fuck you I don't care, FOUR STARS!
This is a 4 that could be a 5 if I relisten to it enough honestly. I already liked Take Me Out and This Fire prior to this whole album listen, but there were even more bangers in store! The only thing is... I think it's missing some sort of zip. It's really solid, but it was never quite 'Holy FUCK this is amazing' music. Still really really good though.
I liked a lot of this. Some crisp sounding rock. But my brain goes back and forth on whether I really loved it. Jaqueline was a great start. Take Me Out is awesome but half the time it annoys me. Most of the time I think the dude’s voice works really well with this, and other times I find it annoying. Really surprised by how much I liked 40’ also. I’m giving it a 4 I guess. Like a 3.5 rounded up.
Great
8.5 Wall to wall indie bangers. Feel like an 13 again x
A refreshing sound, especially for the early 2000's.
Such an important album when it came out. Haven’t listened to it in years but really enjoyed the opportunity. Still awesome.
The fact Take Me Out has over a billion listens on Spotify goes to show you the impact this band had. I've probably listened to that song at least in the 1000s of times since it came out. That being said, I can't name a single other song of theirs off the top of my head. Listening to this album their dance post punk meets indie rock is on full display. There's a lot of interesting things happening here with the dance beats and pointed guitar riffs. Overall, this album has a lot that's worth revisiting and I could find myself coming back to it when I am in the mood for this genre.
Jacqueline 3.7 Tell Her Tonight 3.4 Take Me Out 4 The Dark of the Matinee 3.8 Auf Achse 3.6 Cheating on You 3.5 This Fire 3.5 Darts of Pleasure 3.3 Michael 3.4 Come on Home 3.2 40 3.5 Score: 3.536363636
a mid-aughties classic. could be a five if it also had Do You Want To on it.
full disclosure: i am a millennial who was around when this came out. still, i think this is a really solid britpop/indie album. the songs mostly hold up, and take me out is as grand as it ever was. in retrospect, FF kind of feels like the last time a band really innovated on this indie rock sound, before it was absolutely everywhere for about 5-10 more years. i wouldn't want to hear this album every day or anything but it's good at what it's trying to be. favorites: jacqueline, take me out, auf achse, darts of pleasure, michael, 40'
I wasn't convinced at first. But the more I replay it, the more I started to like it. It is an album that requires relisten a few times.
Unreal album! So good from start to finish.
Some classics on here. This defined a lot of the rock sound of the 2000s. Good stuff!
Yes, all the songs sound very similar to each other. Yes, they obviously nicked their ideas from earlier bands like Wire and Gang of Four. But that sort of thing is almost necessary for things to work: steal a bit, change a bit. And I found myself enjoying this more than I expected.
Gives me Arctic Monkeys / The Libertines vibes with The Beatles-esque harmonies. Classic Brit rock sound.
fun album. i loved it.
a nice surprise! i obviously knew the one big song off of this and still adore it from when i first saw it on VH1 when i was in middle school. the rest of the album was brand new to me and i enjoyed it! i think if you know 'take me out' you're not going to be surprised by the rest of the album, but it's really solid and catchy.
Love this album haven't listened to it in a while. Quite a few songs are already on other playlists.
One of the best debut albums of the mid 2000s.
Awesome blast from the past
Very energetic and angry. Lots of variety. I really liked the vocals and the production on this one. Might be a band I come back to.
Really enjoyed this album. Indi rock with a touch of punk, what’s not to like!
Really solidly consistent album with a few bangers in there, like Take Me Out and The Dark Of The Matinée
So good. This is dance music for people who aren't exactly dancers.
I haven’t listened to this album in a very long time and surprisingly it still sounded really fresh and like it could have been released this year. Very good, some brilliant songs on here and even the ones that don’t quite cut it are good.
I'm torn about how to rate this album. I've known Take Me Out for 2 decades now, but hearing the rest of the album I wasn't all that impressed. There's a lot of musicality in this album that clearly inspired other alt-rock artists of the 2000s, and they really took the ideas and ran with them. I do think it's important to recognize the trendsetters though, so I'll be a little generous with my rating.
Take Me Out is a jukebox gem that savvy bartenders know can sell rounds of shots in just one play. The rest of this is good but not great. Excellent band name.
It's always fun to get an album that I not only already own but also enjoy listening to, even if I haven't really listened to Franz Ferdinand for many many years (and I think they've somewhat recently disbanded too? No, I guess I've confused them with Panic at the Disco...). One of the things that struck me back when I first bought and listened to this album was how consistent they were on each track, somehow without sounding *too* similar from song to song. My favorites are probably their big hits "Take me out" (and what a great and hypnotic animated video!), "Dark of the matinee" (with a fun video as well) and "This fire", but I also enjoy the remainder too, with a particular nod to their opening track "Jacqueline" as well as "Darts of pleasure" and "Michael" (as much for the latter two track's creative videos as the songs themselves). Given how much energy they pack into their songs, I've always imagined they were a lot of fun live, but never quite managed to seek them out. But I'm sure I would have chanted "My name is Super-Fantastic!" with them.
After that boring ELP crap...this is gold! Not wankers. Thank you 1001 rock-gods, actual rock and not wankers.
Great album! Tight, powerful, guitar-driven songs. Only knock is that some of the riffs sound repetitive.
Really liked this, music to dance to. The singles are the stand out tracks.
Nunca defrauda ferdinand, no sé si podría escuchar todo el tiempo pero si lo dejaría de fondo
Excelente,encima empieza con mi nombre
Me gusto pero no me fascino, este tipo de recomendaciones me hace acordar que determinada banda me gustaba pero por una u otra cosa había dejado de escucharla
Franz Ferdinand siempre es re pegadiza pero simple o normie a la vez. No deja de ser un disco divertido para escuchar
This albums reminds me of being young, careless, and without real responsibilities. Take me out bring me back. It is still an instant classic!
Some real throwbacks in here. Fun.
This is exactly what I want to get from these sort of lists. A band/album I never would have listened to because I think “Take me Out” is real lame & I never want to hear it again in my life. Was bummed to see this album pop up at first…but every other song rips! Would’ve been listening to this so much sooner if Take Me Out didn’t suck so much. Maybe I’m just happy to get an actual band after a string of duds.
Probably closer to a 4.5, just good jams
Great debut album. Still sounds really sharp.
Oh this is a dang good album, but one I didn't truly appreciate in its time. Franz Ferdinand somehow made an alt rock album that sounds retro and modern all at the same time. It mixes together great. It of course has the big hit Take Me Out on it, but also The Dark of The Matinee, Michael, and Darts of Pleasure are great. I wish the spotlight had stayed on this band for longer, because they're worth a listen beyond their big hits.
The fire got out of control and I burned down a city
An enjoyable listen.
Seen this band 2 or 3 times, solid album 4.5
Really good, really fun album.
Zeg altijd best snel dat de indie rock van de zeroes waanzinnig slecht is meegegroeid met mijn smaak. En bij veel bands (e.g., Two Door Cinema Club, Kasabian, Maximo Park) voelt dat echt zo. Mijn interesse in Franz Ferdinand was daardoor ook al een tijdje zoek, omdat het voelde als één van die bands, waarbij ik het jeugdige enthousiasme en simplisme destijds wat meer kon waarderen. Maar na het herzien van dit debuutalbum moet ik concluderen dat ik (opnieuw) verkocht ben. Deze dance-punk dag is er één van niveau. Het is catchy, het is funky, het heeft charisma, en vliegt voorbij als een trein. Het heeft één megahit, maar in de schaduw van 'Take Me Out' heeft het echt veel te bieden. Het voelt telkens wel een beetje als een collage van bekende rock-acts, waar de inspiratiebronnen Wire en Gang Of Four het meest in your face zijn. Maar het mixt die art punk met de luchtigheid en de songwriting van The Kinks, wat dan wel weer zorgt voor een nieuwe invalshoek. Misschien toch die andere bands van 'vroeger' nog maar eens proberen.. 8,5/10 Highlights: Take Me Out The Dark Of The Matinée Cheating On You Michael
Indie-kid Kohne hier. Wat een banger van een debuutplaat is dit dan. Misschien over de gehele plaat niet een 5-sterren niveau. Maar als je drie bangers weet te produceren van dit caliber, dan snap ik dat je mede verantwoordelijk bent voor de indie-rock-hype in de zeroes. FF is altijd overduidelijk Franz Ferdinand zonder elke keer hetzelfde te doen. De variatie tussen de nummers is best groot. Waardoor het soms slaagt, en soms niet, maar verrassend is het altijd. En toch maar even herbevestigd. Take Me Out is één van de beste platen uit de jaren 00. 8/10 Highlights Take Me Out Dark of the Matinee This Fire
Good stuff. Only heard the hits but this was a good collection of songs.
Fun and upbeat
Ta wapo
I never would have guessed that this would be on this list. I bought this when it came out in 04. I still remember hearing them for the first time on 97x(RIP). I hadn’t listened to it in probably 10 years, but still remembered every song.
Great energy, great riffs, I love this album. Shame they're only known for "Take Me Out".
++: Jacqueline, Take Me Out, The Dark of the Matinée, Auf Achse, Cheating on You, This Fire, Darts of Pleasure, 40' +: Michael, Come on Home +-: Tell Her Tonight 8,8/10
Neo-new wave, and part of that early 2000s blast of post-post-punk. Kids got the thrill of hearing angular stripped back guitar rock for the first time; those still hanging around from the 1990s alt-rock, indie and college rock scenes got a bunch of fresh bands and albums (especially as most of the 1980s and 1990s school had broken up or faded into obscurity. It's also another one of those great debut albums that was universally acclaimed and seemed to be everywhere. The music? Everything is so damn catchy and memorable. Channelling lots of Talking Heads, Gang of 4, Television. Spiky, sharp, clever and yet accessible without ever being MOR. There's lots of great gear changes in the songs, almost all of which could have been singles - it's an album without any filler. Superfantastisch!
1001 ALBUMS YOU MUST HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE #7 Now before this, I had no idea what this "Franz Ferdinand" thing was, but whatever this is, I'm loving it. But this is Franz Ferdinand's debut album, and they are a British indie band, and when I first listened to this, it kept reminding me of The Dismemberment Plan's "Emergency & I", similar style overall. And it definitely has that same fun energy. Speaking of fun, "Franz Ferdinand" is a pretty fun album all things considered. I love the vocal performances, and the guitars we're amazing. The entire record is just a fun time. Each track is paced well, and unbelievably catchy, especially tracks like "Take Me Out" and "This Fire", and as I mentioned, the band is incredibly talented. Overall, good energy and vibes, it's a nice and fun time. I could put this on at any time and have a good experience. After this, I might have to check out the band's other stuff. Overall Rating: 90 / 100 Favorite Tracks: Tell Her Tonight, Take Me Out, The Dark of the Matinee, Cheating on You, Darts of Pleasure, Michael, 40'.
Very riffy not bad its a bit like AM I dig it
A fun album with no duff tracks - I haven’t listened in years so it was nice to revisit. It wears its post-punk/ new wave influences on its sleeve but that’s no bad thing. Good as it is, it probably wouldn’t be on my own list of 1001 essential albums, if I made one. Which I won’t.
Good music to stay up late committing genocide on things that bug you (spending a half hour killing ants at midnight)
Franz Ferdinand is known for their top hit, but they have a lot of other great stuff too
Not a bad song on the album! Great catchy grooves, highly danceable and up beat. Love it! “Jacqueline”, “tell her tonight”, “take me out”, “dark if the matinee”, and “this fire” were all bops.
It's xl102 week apparently. I only know Take Me Out. I have a vague memory of Lexa telling me that this album is really good. Let's find out. First two songs were alright, take me out remains an incredible song. I see why this album fits in with people who like the strokes after Matinée but I also am not sure that I liked that song, that bridge is ripped straight of a first impressions song in a good way but the chorus is annoying. I think I am into the dancey-rock based vibe that they are curating but I can't say I love it. 4 seems too high, 3 too low, going 4 but know it's really on the fence.
Tell her tonight has a fun vibe and kevin came in grooving I cant get over that disco beat on take me out. Actually on most song, fuck ya. Rock disco is whats up 40' going hard with that synth Overall that went pretty hard
This is a banger! I have loved this album since it came out and I think it’s a solid debut, certainly better than their second offering, which is similar but less good. The vibe reminds me a lot of The Strokes, it’s got that loose garage sound, and it’s pretty stompy for the most part, which I really enjoy. Some tracks are a bit pretentious, and it’s kind of front loaded, which lets it down a wee bit. I still really enjoy it, though, and it gets an airing in my house every so often.
Memory total, Voice is repetitive bit very famili
Great album, took me back.
Fun. Poppy. Better than the other fun, poppy rock that was coming out post-Strokes
New band for me. Another of the Rock Revival movement in the early 2000’s I completely missed. This album smokes.
Great album with a lot of highlights. Excellent riffs. One can hear that a lot of the album has been inspired by Talking Heads, but I dont think it steps on any toes. A joy. Best: Take Me Out Worst: Cheating On You
Might honestly be one of the best garage rock type albums out there. Every instrument sounds so raw but intentional. Can definitely hear that Arctic Monkeys took some inspo.
I don't know them but it's been a fun album. One song must have been popular because I heard it before. I don't usually go for this sound but this album is going in the rotation. It's good to drive to and I am listening to it again at work. Good stuff.
Forgot how good this album is. Really enjoyed the flashback.
It felt like FF stormed onto the scene with Take Me Out. It's such a banger and the rest of the album shouldn't be overlooked either. If you like Take Me Out then you will surely enjoy this album. Great debut for the Scottish lads
Considering how annoying I found 'Take me out' to be when it was on the radio I appreciated this album much more than I thought I would.
Pretty good!
A good album, I liked Tell Her Tonight, Take Me Out and 40'.
ja da geht was! ich kannte Franz Ferdinand weniger, erinnere mich aber an sie.