It’s been five years since the last proper Franz Ferdinand album (not counting their 2015 collaborative record with Sparks), but you wouldn’t guess that with the parade of singles they’ve been releasing of late. The offerings from Always Ascending, due out on February 9th via Domino, have felt vital in a way that few bands on their fifth LP do, pushing themselves to experiment while maintaining their signature, dancefloor-ready brand of rock and roll. The Scottish band’s identity is completely singular at this point, but they’re still bringing the inspired energy of a group making their first record.
On their latest offering, “Lazy Boy,” this couldn’t be more apparent. The track wades in from the shallow end, taking huge, hooky leaps with each ensuing part that’s added to the fold, until you can’t really distinguish what is actually holding the song together. It’s not an exercise in the whole being stronger than the sum of its parts, but a collection of memorable parts that stand on their own and come together for an equally impressive whole. That’s probably a convoluted way to say that “Lazy Boy” is a jam that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best Franz Ferdinand songs that they’ve ever crafted. It’s vibrant songwriting at its best.
Listen to Franz Ferdinand’s “Lazy Boy” above and look for Always Ascending on February 9th.
