Fear is the mind killer, as anyone who’s read Dune knows, but for Franz Ferdinand it’s inspiration. Various forms of foreboding informed every song on the Scots’ upcoming sixth studio album The Human Fear, due out Jan. 10.
That said, the buoyant riff and almost ska-like rhythms of their new single, “Audacious,” sounds hardly unnerving. The music video for the tune plays out like a movie as frontman Alex Kapranos asks, “Did you ever get the feeling that there’s something come undone?” They keep it pretty well together, though, and by the chorus, they’re literally frolicking through glitter and smelling flowers. “Don’t stop feeling audacious, there’s no one to save us, so just carry on,” Kapranos sings. Nothing scary here. In fact, it’s pretty catchy, and the clip’s director, Andy Knowles (who led “Curious”), who came up with the video’s party angle.
“Making this record was one of the most life-affirming experiences I’ve had, but it’s called The Human Fear,” Kapranos said in a statement. “Fear reminds you that you’re alive. I think we all are addicted in some way to the buzz it can give us. How we respond to it shows how we are human. So here’s a bunch of songs searching for the thrill of being human via fears. Not that you’d necessarily notice on first listen.”
Kapranos also explained how “Audacious” fits into their collective sense of fear. “It’s about having an audacious response when you feel the fabric of existence come undone around you,” he said. “Being bold, contrary. Peering over the edge into the eternity of non-existence and saying Aye! Fuck it! Not today thank you!”
The group worked on the album with producer Mark Ralph, who previously helmed their Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action in 2013. A separate deluxe edition of the record will include the group’s demos for the album.
The Human Fear Track List:
1. “Audacious”
2. “Everyday Dreamer”
3. “The Doctor”
4. “Hooked”
5. “Build It Up”
6. “Night or Day”
7. “Tell Me I Should Stay”
8. “Cats”
9. “Black Eyelashes”
10. Bar Lonely”
11. The Birds”
From Rolling Stone US
