S Poddar
Franz Ferdinand have finally unleashed their latest song, “Night or Day,” which serves as the second single from their upcoming album The Human Fear. The track is quite an exciting return for the post-punk quartet, with an unmatched blend of uptempo piano lines, disco-influenced beats, and smooth yacht rock elements. With warm vocal harmonies and an infectious rhythm section, “Night or Day” is most remarkable for the powerful performance from frontman Alex Kapranos.
A striking black-and-white music video by Rianne White also is part of the dramatic flair of the song. The video channeled that noir aesthetic during its production, filled with shadowy, cinematic visuals that complement the song’s mood. Fans of the band can experience the visual interpretation of “Night or Day” below:.
In a statement accompanying the release, Kapranos shared the inspiration behind the song and video: “Life may never be easy, but damn, we’ll make sure we live it up night or day. Night into day.” He went on to explain the collaboration with Rianne White: “We collaborated with the hugely talented Rianne White to capture the Drama-Noir of the environment where we recorded this and the rest of the LP. She has a sensitivity and energy which exploded into that space, giving a glimpse of the world where we made the music. Storm shake the room and boom… the dark heart of Scotland beats strong.” The video is shot entirely at AYR Studios, where the band worked up much of the album.
This comes on the back of the release of their lead single “Audacious,” which treated fans to an early preview of what is to come in The Human Fear. Their album, scheduled to be released on January 10th 2025, marks their first album since 2018’s Always Ascending. This comes as Franz Ferdinand edges closer to dropping their sixth studio album, which has created even more excitement around the direction they have taken with the new material.
The Human Fear promises to be one of the most important chapters in the band’s career, linking the best of their previous work with new sonic landscapes. And tracks like “Night or Day” at the lead mean it’s clear that Franz Ferdinand is again pushing boundaries, offering their fans a mix of introspective depth and rhythmic energy.
