In case you have been waiting, Franz Ferdinand is back. The Scotland based band offers its third release titled “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand.” For all those who are acquainted with the band through their 2004 hit “Take Me Out,” they still sound more or less like the same band, but they are hardly beating the same drum. With pleasant consequences, the band has found some artistic divergence through incorporating more trance/techno elements. On the whole, “Tonight” is a narrative of one night which people would assume is common for the band. If you enjoy sex, drugs and the nighttime, or choose to live vicariously through a bunch of wild Scots, then “Tonight” is for you.

This time around, the group has chosen to write about all things nocturnal, as the title implies. At its core the album functions as a concept album. It’s a concept most in college are familiar with: partying. The festivities start at “Ulysses,” with the reveler looking to get high and start the night. While the subject matter may be somewhat shallow, it’s not quite an ode to debauchery. Lyrically, the middle tracks present discontent with male/female dynamics and the emptiness of promiscuity. To cap off the night there are, of course, dreams, which the final tracks set to wonderful music on “Dream Again” and “Katherine Kiss Me.” The album’s biggest strength is certainly its ability to experiment with different styles, but do so in chronological order so that it feels natural and not like bad experimentation.

Central to the album are the ever so familiar vocals and poppy rifts that permeate most tracks. Lead singer Alex Kapranos’s vocals are dynamic and full, conveying a range seldom found on most popular releases.

Franz Ferdinand has certainly offered a valid argument as to why they’re relevant in today’s music scene. Not only do they prove that they are versatile, they demonstrate their own developed sound. It’s often problematic when a band grows into their own sound. Luckily for this gang of Scots, they have matured with few growing pains.