Scottish quartet Franz Ferdinand tends its sandbox somewhere between the immutable aloofness of the Strokes and Interpol as it primps mercilessly, shimmies shamelessly and sings along to Smiths singles. The band's debut is an ideal soundtrack for a sweaty basement party teeming with lip-glossed temptresses, pretty girlfriends and prettier boys. And there's more than a little disco in this lean, taut garage. "Take Me Out" grooves handily into butterfly-collar throttle on the backs of Nick McCarthy and Alex Kapranos' sassy guitars and Bob Hardy's stomping bass, and "Jacqueline" welds a wistful, Morrissey-worthy intro onto a rail-melting howler. The London Suede faces off against the Beatles on "Tell Her Tonight," and divorce lawyers everywhere cash in. More proof that every now and again, hype is dead-on.
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