Customer Reviews

Darts of Pleasure

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's been a while since anything has piqued my interest, but trust it to come from across the pond. Imagine the Strokes sounding better than the Strokes, with a bit of the Fall and an upbeat Joy Division mixed in. Franz Ferdinand has a stylish garage rock sound that is able to elude the trappings of any one particular genre. As you can tell, it may not be easy to pinpoint their particular sound, but that's one of the challenges of attempting to describe something so new and fresh.

highly recommended, but please sack the amazon.com editor responsible for calling these talented lads English, when of course they hail from across the border in bonnie Scotland.

Franz Ferdinand hit the big time with their self-titled debut. But the "Darts of Pleasure" EP will also be a pleasure for fans, with their quirky musical style and catchy melodies. A few of the songs are mixed bags, but it's a uniformly catchy five-song collection.

It opens with the dancey title track, but rapidly segues into "Van Tango," which is a whole different animal -- it's also catchy, but more quirky and dark. The melody is twitchy, and the electric organ is nothing short of phenomenal. "Shopping for Blood" is not nearly as engaging -- it just lumbers on along, with the occasional blast of guitars and drums.

Following that are two home demos: "Tell Her Tonight" and "Darts of Pleasure." The sound on these two is rather tinny, and the music can be rather muddy except for the percussion. But the vocals get a chance to stand out front and center, and there's more passion and snap in the voices.

The British group have gotten a reputation for their unusual brand of nostalgic rock -- they're a bit like the Strokes or Interpol, but a bit lighter and a lot dancier. It's also a pleasantly quirky sound, avoiding the heaviness that runs through a lot of more self-important rock or pop.

The basslines and riffs are nimble and flexible, twisting all over the snappy drumming. These guys know how to take a melody and make it shimmy; only the third song lacks that quality. It just plods. There is also quite a bit of electric organ, adding a smooth new wave flair to the more traditional rock-pop mix.

Franz Ferdinand are in good form in "Darts of Pleasure," a good accompaniment to their hit debut. Worth checking out.

When this EP was only a CD-Single, featuring DARTS OF PLEASURE, VAN TANGO, and SHOPPING FOR BLOOD, I'd give it 5 stars. All three of those are very good songs. This release of it, however, does not display the same good qualities. Why? Distinctly because of the demos. Here's what I have to say about the songs:

DARTS OF PLEASURE--Franz Ferdinand's very first released song displays their musical abilities very well. With a very good bass line, and a catchy tune to sing along to, this is one you'll enjoy. Featuring vocals by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Bob Hardy, and Paul Thomson.

VAN TANGO--Many would notice the differences between this song and the last: it features keyboards, it's more alternative instead of rock, and the lead guitarist is singing on lead vocals. But the two songs do have one thing in common, and that is that they are each as good as the other. Featuring vocals by Nick McCarthy, Alex Kapranos, and Paul Thomson.

SHOPPING FOR BLOOD--This song could easily be described as a darker mix of the first two songs. It's lead sung by Alex Kapranos again, but it features keyboards again. Unlike either of the pervious songs, though, it features a very heavy, dark bass line which, when mixed echoing keyboard effects, comes out with a chilling sound. It's quite a good song, with very well chosen instrument selections. Featuring vocals by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, and Paul Thomson.

TELL HER TONIGHT [HOME DEMO]--I seriously hope that this song was SUPPOSED to be as bad as it turned out. Because it turned out AWFUL. So awful that it's funny. Alex Kapranos's voice is cracking as he makes it higher than it was ever meant to be, Nick McCarthy's backup singing is going out of tune...etcetera. It's one big mishap of a song. Featuring vocals by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, and Paul Thomson.

DARTS OF PLEASURE [HOME DEMO]--I admit that this demo isn't as bad as the last. But it has its bad moments. For example, during the chorus, you can distinctly hear the singing dropping out of tune at one point. Still, it's interesting to hear something different. Featuring vocals by Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy.

So my final say is 3.5/5.

Franz Ferdinand is a band from Scotland which in less than a year has become a sensation in the UK. This is their first single, and is simply outstanding.

"Darts of Pleasure" (5 tracks, 16 min.) starts off with the title track, an immediate burst of energy, with a high pulse of guitars and bass. The song reminded me as a mix between Hot Hot Heat and Interpol, I know that's hard to imagine, but trust me, it works! And you have to hear the German (!) singalong chorus at the outro, just great. "Van Tango" pits the guitars more up front. "Shopping" is the least appealing song, albeit not bad. The two demos are very interesting: "Tell Her Tonight" is haunting (and appears in full band mode on the debut album), and there is also a demo of "Darts".

It's clear that Franz Ferdinand has "it" (however you want to describe it) and is going places. The band would go on to release their debut album in March 2004, and the album only confirms the promise of the excellent "Darts" EP. Strongly recommended!

Excellent band, breath of fresh air! By the way, Alan from New York, although they live in Scotland most of them were born in England, perhaps they'd like to be called British if anything?!

These guys are an interesting and clever avant-retro-pop/rock act, but probably won't hit the BIG TIME. However, within the alternative scene, they should divert some attention away from the Strokes who failed miserably on their sophomore effort with 'Room on Fire.' It's a quirky bunch of songs...as you listen to it, it sounds kinda cool, off-kilter, original, and fun, and when it's over you just want to repeat it again wishing you had some nerdy art-school friends to bring some lame girls and booze over for a silly party...yet you get the feeling that these guys have the potential to be awesome if they don't try so hard in making radio singles like 'Darts of Pleasure' which is OK but nothing stunning to the point that justifies the addition of a demo version of 'Darts'...By far the craziest-killer songs are "Van Tango" and "Shopping for Blood." It's the ideas in these noteworthy songs that make this band relevant, cool and original. Some say Franz sound derivative in many of the same ways that the Strokes do...get over it, a four piece band has techincal limitations that are insurmountable.

Franz Ferdinand are Interpol with better writing, a sense of the absurd and much better clothes. Witness the translation of the German bit at the end of 'Darts'--I am Mr. Superfantastic/ I drink champagne with smoked salmon. Fabulous.

This band sounds absolutely nothing like Interpol. It's more akin to The Rapture than any of the bands mentioned. Dancier than The Strokes, nowhere near as dark as Interpol, with a lot more keyboards. It's a good start but I'll be hoping for more on the full-length.