Talking about the album, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand said:
"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. 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."
Ever since their beginnings, throwing illegal parties in condemned Glasgow buildings, Franz Ferdinand have been defined by a fresh, unfading, forward-facing outlook, a transgressive art-school perspective, but with a love of a big song and The Human Fear undoubtedly continues in this tradition; distinct yet new, musically, and creatively it's a record eager to push forward.
The first studio album to feature members Audrey Tait (drums) and Dino Bardot (guitar), the record also sees Julian Corrie step forward to collaborate with Alex Kapranos and Bob Hardy on songwriting and creative duties.
A band for whom the aesthetic and style is almost as important as the sound, as ever the importance of this is reflected in the cover artwork which was inspired by Hungarian artist Dóra Maurer's self-portrait 7 Twists - Maurer's work appealed because it does exactly what they want from their music: a striking immediacy that is impossible to ignore, but with a depth and vulnerability that bears many returns and satisfactory repetition.
Maybe this is a set of songs about fear, maybe this is a set of bangers from an era-defining band continuing their unquestionably living legacy. Is that something to be afraid of?
