Music Review

Franz Ferdinand, "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" (Epic)

Even the best parties sometimes go on too long. You know the feeling: It's 3 a.m. and you want to party a little longer, but you're tired and don't have the energy to dance the night away.

That's what the latest album from Glasgow party boys Franz Ferdinand feels like. "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" is a departure for the band, and perhaps a misstep.

The catchy hooks and danceable beats aren't completely gone, but the album doesn't have the bite of earlier work and especially that of its exciting self-titled debut.

Still by far the best of the bands influenced by the New Wave and post-punk movements of the '80s, Franz Ferdinand heads in a slightly different direction on "Tonight" under the guidance of producer Dan Carey.

Gone is much of the razor-sharp guitar work and quirky time changes that marked the band's earliest work, replaced by sometimes chintzy-sounding keys and synths that aren't as fulfilling and sometimes seem like mere adornments.

"Turn It On" labours along on a lethargic bass line, while "Live Alone" is Duran Duran on downers with a chorus that feels like a tired come-on line: "I've got a question for you/Where do you see yourself in 5 minutes?"

The band seems to sleep walk on "Dream Again" and potential showstopper "Lucid Dreams" gets lost on its way to getting interesting.

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The album's first single, "Ulysses," starts out with a dirty snare shuffle that feels like a night-time stroll down a shabby street and is the best song here.

But it doesn't rise to the level of old showstoppers like "Take Me Out" or "Jacqueline," so far the highlight of the band's work.