10 Bands Who Should Have Stopped After One Album

10. Franz Ferdinand

The early noughties were a strange time for the UK indie scene. Every group of thin lads in vintage suits suddenly had a record deal.

The winners were the Arctic Monkeys, who have only increased their status through the tactic of writing good, varied songs. Franz Ferdinand, meanwhile, debuted in 2004 with a stellar album, and have failed to replicate that success ever since.

The self-titled LP is a relic of those days. With so many bands trying to pull off angular art-pop, the Glasgow four piece did better than most. They had the look, the smarts, the swagger - they seemed unstoppable. But what came next just wasn’t the same.

Followup track You Could Have It So Much Better saw the band turning arch and knowing, and they’ve only got deeper into irony ever since.

The thing is, Franz Ferdinand’s music was fun enough without it having to be explicitly comedic. It was well crafted throwback dance rock, with a groove modern mainstream indie has rarely been able to replicate since. They were no doubt having a good time showing off their smarts, but in due course it seemed like the joke was supposed to be on us.