Franz Ferdinand First Album -

Twenty years on, from the opening strum of “Jacqueline” to the final thud of “40’,” Franz Ferdinand remains a perfect debut: a statement of intent so confident and so joyous that it feels like it’s still trying to take you out on the floor.

10/10 (Essential Listening)

It opens with a command. A jagged, propulsive guitar riff that sounds like a frantic telegram from the past, followed by Alex Kapranos’s sly, spoken-sung demand: “Jacqueline, take my hand…” franz ferdinand first album