*So, the new Springsteen is completely excellent. I must admit, his output in the aughts has been, more or less, unheard by me. I thought Magic was a little tired, but had some significant bright spots, but, other than that, I never bothered with the others. So, it is safe to say that...I don't REALLY know what I am talking about. However, I like to think that I know a good piece of music that can stand on its own when I hear it. Working on a Dream is damn near rapturous in its working class, fantastical charm. It is filled, no doubt, with the kind of creature comforts that Bruce has been embracing for years, and in a most lucid way it engulfs itself in the tropes of an artist on an eye-to-eye level. I plan on writing more on this once I listen a few more times. Just wanted to get something out of the old brain tonight.

*The new Franz Ferdinand is nowhere near as CRAZY as they would have you believe. I mean, yeah, there's some stuff here that breaks character but Franz is a band that has a way of sticking to methods that work for them. Even if they don't want to. It's like they don't know any better. And it's not a bad method, it's just familiar. Their silky dance funk/post-punk act works just as well today as their dub-influenced electrotrash tramples will work tomorrow. They bring the same bravado and COCKSURE mentalities to just about anything they create, and Tonight is as good or bad as anything that they've released by about half. If...that makes sense. I'll write more on this one later too.

Darts of Pleasure

Franz Ferdinand. Remember them?! They made that one really good album and followed it with a really mediocre one. Anyway, after 3 years, it looks like they are finally putting the finishing touches on their third LP. No title as of yet. They are apparently working with Brian Higgins on this one. Dude's kind of responsible for Girls Aloud and Sugababes. Should be interesting.