Franz Ferdinand delight at Kingston's intimate venue

Franz Ferdinand - Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action

Venue: McClusky's, Kingston, Surrey
Date: August 29, 2013

Following a 2008 surprise set at Glastonbury's Park Stage and a headline on The Other Stage the following year, Franz Ferdinand had a personal high expectation to meet at Kingston's McClusky's last night (Aug 29).

The indie-pop rockers have returned with the release of their much-anticipated fourth album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action and have rightly justified that expected return to the charts.

Frontman Alex Kapranos and his companions gradually eased into a wonderful stride where the excitement took over, particularly for stage-climbing guitarist Nick McCarthy.

Album-opener 'Right Action' is an extremely simple pop tune with reminiscence of Badly Drawn Boy, relying on 'do do do's, which - somewhat surprisingly - still worked for the four-piece.

The ever-present Beatles influence is clearly heard in their self-titled debut album track 'Tell Her Tonight' which was well-received amongst an excited crowd of hardcore Franz fans.

Fan favourite from second album You Could Have It So Much Better, 'Do You Want To', had the majority dancing in good spirits.

Other classic tracks, including trademark song 'Take Me Out' and addictive single 'The Dark of the Matinee', were delivered in a frantic sweat in the sweltering heat, much to the delight of the Kingstonians.

After excessive cheers for an encore, the crowd were ecstatic to see the return of the band to perform three final songs.

Closing tracks 'Fresh Strawberries', 'Bullet' and 'Love Illumination' used strong poppy riffs with catchy beats and chorus vocals, showcasing just a few of the highlights on the impressive new record.

Although the popular 'This Fire' and 'No You Girls' weren't given a sniff, the Glaswegian's still performed a solid set filled with pleasant sing-a-long's and new album treats.

The Thursday indie night is becoming increasingly popular with the likes of Beady Eye, Miles Kane, Tom Odell and now the Glasgow chart-toppers.

The collaboration with Banquet Records is serving the Kingston club well following the move from the Hippodrome. The already highly-acclaimed The 1975 are set to perform next Thursday (Sep 5); their first gig following the release of their debut album (Sep 2).

Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action is certain to receive a generally positive reaction, but don't expect a response similar to that of their brilliant debut album.