Darts of Pleasure

Hark –- is that the sound of the new Glasgow underground poking you in the eye? "Darts Of Pleasure" is the statement of intent which Franz Ferdinand have chosen to foist upon the world, and job’s a good ‘un. With one journo claiming this to be the most exciting debut record since The Strokes' "Is This It" (wait! come back!), you can see where he’s coming from, although Franz have a more arty and angular approach to the New York floppy-haired bunch, and the B-sides sound like The Fall. On CRACK. And stuff. "Darts of Pleasure" is a happy, funny, romp through simple bass riffs and spiky guitars, with a good deal of yelping and fuzziness. Super-fantastic, indeed.