Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand (Vinyl LP) * * *

Glaswegian in attitude, global in outlook, since the immediate breakthrough of "Take Me Out" the energy of Franz Ferdinand has made people dance. The ambitions of the band have been fulfilled across the world's stage and in five albums of precision-engineered enjoyment. Winner of the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, Franz Ferdinand's eponymous debut album was an instant hit which found the four-piece channeling throwback art-rock through an early noughties Britpop-revival prism on the aforementioned "Take Me Out" plus fellow standouts "The Dark of the Matinée" and "Michael."