We start this years countdown of my favourite music of the past year with two great tastes that taste great together. FFS is a collaboration between modern new wave band Franz Ferdinand and veteran new wave legends Sparks. At first, this seems like a collaboration that won't gel, but the more you think about it, the more it make sense. Apparently, this project had been in the works since 2004, when the Mael brothers of Sparks wrote "Piss Off" for Franz Ferdinand, and then sat on the backburner until 2015. "Piss Off" finally sees light on this album, and it's pretty spot on in terms of how the bands would come together. Sparks brings a lush, quirky and melodic weirdness to Franz Ferdinand's spiky and punchy new wave/dance rock stylings, and FF chop up the smooth and rounded edges of Sparks' style of orchestral new wave. No one band takes precedent over the other, with both bands pitching in equally on the sound, the lyrics and the music. The Maels shine early in the album, with "Johnny Delusional" and "Call Girl" having the Sparks piano-driven style of new wave, and the Maels more high-pitched and poppy vocals. "Police Encounters" has Franz Ferdinand's muscly punch and angular vocal style. The tongue in cheek, self-referential "Collaborations Don't Work" is a fun send up of people who thought the team up between bands wouldn't come together. It would be great to see these two bands continue with FFS, but even if it's a one-off collaboration, it's still worth the time to dig into this album and enjoy it!
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