FFS is a supergroup formed by members of the dance-rock group Franz Ferdinand and glam-rock duo Sparks. The project began all the way back in the mid 2000's after the release of Franz Ferdinand's self-titled debut album, after the members of Sparks got wind that the members were fans of their music.
Over the last decade, Franz Ferdinand have strung together a very impressive run of albums that managed to combine groovy danceable indie rock with a touch of post-punk, a combination which has made for some very enjoyable tracks. While they only formed in 2004, their bandmates in FFS, Sparks, began their music career all the way back in 1971.
With over 20 albums in their discography, brothers Ron and Russell of Sparks have done a great job at constantly evolving their sound as their over 40 year long career progresses. For Franz Ferdinand however, this is their first real step out of their comfort zone where they've remained for the last ten years.
The first thing you'll notice with FFS, is it's quite a bit more Sparks than it is Franz Ferdinand. That's not to say it's a bad thing, however, as the group comes together and is able to find somewhat of a happy medium of their two separate sounds. Russell Mael and Alex Kapranos share the vocals throughout the album, which makes for a very different dynamic as Mael's signature falsetto voice combines with the much deeper and accented voice of Kapranos.
The first track on the album is a perfect preview of what's to come, as Johnny Delusional starts with a beautiful piano melody, which is then meant with an upbeat drum set and some very Sparks-esque synths that will instantly get you tapping your foot. The lyrics are also a great intro, as the song details a story of being in love and not giving up, despite not having a chance.
Lyrically, a large part of the album details the stupidity of the concept and stereotypes of masculinity, and that's on display again with the second track Call Girl. One of my favorite tracks on the LP, Call Girl is another upbeat catchy tune that this time discusses the idea that males always have to make the first move in relationships. The next track, Dictator's Son stays very true to the catchy and danceable nature of the album thus far.
The next track, Little Guy From The Suburbs is a big change for the group, as they experiment with a slow paced acoustic track for the first time. While it doesn't necessarily make for anything to write home about, it's a nice little break from the toe-tapping tracks that came before it.
After that the album returns to it's dance-rock roots, as Police Encounters is a catchy chorus driven track with chanting you would expect on quite a few of Sparks past projects. The following three tracks are enjoyable, but aren't much different from what we've heard earlier, although Man Without A Tan is guaranteed to be stuck in your head after only a few listens.
Things I Won't Get is one of the songs that really grabbed my attention on the first few play throughs. Not because of the musicianship, as it's not anything too new or unique, but the slower paced track is perhaps my favorite cut lyrically on whole the LP. Beginning as a song that ponders all the things that Mael and Kapranos will never get in their life, it turns in to more of a romance inspired tune with lines like "but when I see you lying by my side, I understand you well."
The Power Couple and Collaborations Don't Work are next up in the track listing. While The Power Couple is the only song on the album I don't enjoy, Collaborations Don't Work makes for a decent take. The first single released by the group; Piss Offs closes out the album. One of the better tracks, Piss Offs, much like Johnny Delusional and Call Girl combines the best of both worlds as the song will get you moving with it's catchy instrumentation, but also contains some catchy lyrics.
While FFS's debut album isn't anything that'll be brand new or innovative for fans of both groups, it still goes down as a very fun and enjoyable project that allows their sounds to mesh very well. It'll be interesting to see where the supergroup goes from here, as the production of their debut took over eleven years to finish.
Rating: B
Favorite Tracks: Johnny Delusional, Call Girl, The Man Without A Tan, Things I Won't Get
Least Favorite Tracks: Power Couple
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