Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses

A lot has changed since Franz Ferdinand were last present on the music scene. Therefore it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if this single saw the boys play it safe and release something certain to cement themselves and their place. Thankfully, instead of taking the easy option that many of their contemporaries (Kaiser Chiefs most noticeably) have taken in the past 12 months Franz have picked up on what exactly it was that made them so good back in 2004, and like they did with ‘Take Me Out’ have condensed it into the perfect pop single.

‘Ulysses’ has Franz Ferdinand show why they are the top pop band in the country. They’ve re-found their knack for stripping away the layers of a pop song and in places there’s less than what most would the bear bones. The intro for example; the song starts with a fantastic minimalist rhythm and rubbery bassline, Alex Kapranos’ voice a seductive whispering over the top. “I’m bored, Come on let’s get high,” he commands. It’s so quiet it’s barely there at some points.

The chorus couldn’t be more different. There’s squelchy synthesizers, working in unison with the guitars and bass to propel the songs chorus into the stratosphere. “I’ve found a new way” is the vocal hook, and could fill arenas. It’s glam and arty, yet has much less pomp and shine than any of the material from the previous album, maybe bar ‘Outsiders’. This is utterly brilliant and if we thought we could get away with giving it 10/10 then we would.