Franz Ferdinand’s follow-up to the whirlwind success of its fey interpretation of Gang of Four didn’t exactly cash in on the momentum very effectively. The pomp and ego took precedent over the actual tunes, diverting the band’s return to the dreaded sophomore-slump bins. In the three years hence, the band has built a fair amount of good will back up with the media, showing up at festivals and delivering the requisite goods live, leaning heavily on the first, good record. Rumors have been circling for many months about the heavy use of synths on what is to be the band’s third LP. And today the band is streaming its new lead single, "Ulysses", on its MySpace page. Stereogum reports that the rhythm sounds very Spoon, which means it’s simple and repetitive. And the synth rumor is absolutely true. After only a cursory listen it already destroys anything on You Could Have It So Much Better.

http://www.myspace.com/franzferdinand