The Archdukes Turn 20

Today as I sit and write this post. February 10th 2024, is the 20th anniversary of one of the very best debut albums in recent memory. A self titled effort from Scottish band. Franz Ferdinand

An album that featured the hit singles ‘Take Me Out’, ‘This Fire’ and ‘The Dark of the Matinée.’ Upon release in 2004 the album reached Number Three in the charts and would win the Mercury Prize in that same year.

It isn’t an album where people have come to appreciate it better with age. People knew it was amazing at the time. 

In a 9/10 review, the NME said “without doubt this debut is an album packed with tunes that will make anyone with legs dance. At indie discos across the land their first two singles have already been packing dance floors. The fear that they could match their first two singles has proved unfounded. They’ve done it. With style, wit and well great posture.

An album filled with slick Britpop Melodie’s, dance driven basslines, brilliant crafted lyrics and some of the best drumming on a British record ever. Lyrically the album is full of catchy hooks and choruses become real ear worms. Take the albums most well known track ‘Take Me Out’ the way the song is structured, it shouldn’t work and yet because of the chorus’ it has become an indie anthem.

Listening back to this record all these later it stands up better than ever, and I can still hear the influence of Franz Ferdinand in modern indie music today. They were never as big as the Arctic Monkeys, or as genre bending as Bloc Party, nor have the mystique of The Libertines. What they did have was a slick polished collection of songs. That rivals all of those bands debut albums. 

Alex Kaparanos made these songs about hookups, breakups and make ups seem sexy and stylish. His lyrics have more in common with Jarvis Cocker than Julian Casablancas. More in common with Damon Albarn, than Pete Doherty.

With references to Terry Wogan, German Spoken word lines, and Soviet Era propaganda. They were vastly different from their pleasures and well the results are. Superfantastich.

Give it a listen, and in the words of frontman Alex Kapranos ‘Don't be afraid to dance.’

Thank you for reading x

For Archie