‘Hits To The Head’ provides a useful reminder of everything that made Franz Ferdinand so refreshing when they arrived with ‘Darts Of Pleasure’ in 2003 – urgent energy, angular guitars that nodded to post-punk and Status Quo and a wry humour in Alex Kapranos’ lyrics that made a future collaboration with Sparks predestined.
The varispeed, New Wave-y ‘Take Me Out’ may have become their signature song, but it was the addition of vintage synths around the time of ‘Ulysses’ that cemented their sound.
Duchampian yet danceable and nothing short of essential.
9/10
Words: Mat Smith
Dig This? Dig Deeper: Sparks, XTC, Orange Juice
– – –
– – –
