Collaborations often don’t work, but it seems Scotland’s Franz Ferdinand and ‘70s art rockers Sparks didn’t get the memo. Heck, they even went and wrote a whole silly song about it. Said track (Collaborations Don’t Work) is a seven-minute epic that sounds like something by Monty Python, and the other 11 tracks on their cheekily titled collaborative album, FFS, continue in the same vein and style as this one.
The six-man supergroup make a bold creative statement by sticking their middle fingers up at conventional song structures and adding quirky lyrics and instrumentation. The music is still predominantly pop, including the synth and disco varieties, and everything in between. It’s all rather idiosyncratic and fun. On So Desu Ne, notes are bent backwards and forwards to make the most warped licks, while singles Johnny Delusional and Call Girl are busy, ornate tunes that see Alex Kapranos and Russell Mael trading witty repartee.
If you can get past the many different ingredients, there is much to enjoy, as the clever pop songcraft and tongue-in-cheek humour prevail. Ultimately, this album shows two bands living it up, having fun and not giving a flying fuck what anyone thinks. And somehow, it all works.
BY NATALIE SALVO
