Franz Ferdinand are classic rock now, and that's okay. Moreover, the unwavering Glasgow-formed indie unit also seemingly have a new album called The Human Fear on the way.
Some Reddit sleuths uncovered a since-removed webstore listing for the band's sixth studio album — following 2018's Always Ascending and the 2022 best-of collection, Hits to the Head — which is reportedly due on Domino Records in January 2025.
UPDATE (9/11, 9:05 a.m. ET): The Human Fear will indeed be released on January 10, 2025.
"Making this record was one of the most life-affirming experiences I've had, but it's called The Human Fear. Fear reminds you that you're alive," the band's Alex Kapranos said in a statement. "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."
Of the lead single, he added, "It's about having an audacious response when you feel the fabric of existence come undone around you. Being bold, contrary. Peering over the edge into the eternity of non-existence and saying Aye! Fuck it! Not today thank you!"
Check out the Andy Knowles-directed "Audacious" video below, where you'll also find the full album tracklist.
Recorded at AYR Studios in Scotland and produced by Mark Ralph, who Franz previously worked with on their 2013 LP, here's the product description for the record:
The Human Fear is the sixth studio album from Franz Ferdinand.
Produced with Mark Ralph, who previously worked with the band on their 2013 album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, the album showcases Franz at their most immediate, upbeat and life-affirming, unashamedly going for the pop-jugular in classic Franz style.
Recorded at AYR studios in Scotland, the 11 songs on The Human Fear all allude to some deep-set human fears and how overcoming and accepting these fears drives and defines our lives.
The astute folks on Reddit have drawn a connection between the album artwork and Seven Twists I-VI (a.k.a. Seven Rotations I-VI), a 1979 series of portraits by photographer Dóra Maurer that have also been used as the cover of French novel Oublier Clémence by Michèle Audin.
As announced yesterday, the band are slated to release a new single called "Audacious" tomorrow. Will the rest of the album details — and the official announcement — come along with it? Only time will tell.
The Human Fear:
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