This is make or break time for Franz Ferdinand. Their 2005 album, You Could Have It So Much Better, didn’t quite live up to the hype following their 2004 debut. That’s not to say So Much Better was bad; it was quite good, but the Franz buzz machine seemed to run out of steam just as it was released.

The future of the Scottish quartet rests heavily on Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. Will they be just a footnote in Brit-pop history, or rise to new heights?

Tonight is unmistakably Franz Ferdinand — a more sophisticated, yet still fierce, Franz Ferdinand. The opener “Ulysses” proclaims, “Oh, then suddenly you know you’re never going home.”

The band isn’t following the same formula that brought success early on. Gone is the stripped-down, sexy guitar swagger of the previous albums. In its place is a band embracing its future. The most noticeable aspect of the new Franz is the heavy use of synthesizers and computer drums. In the hands of a lesser band, this might come off as static. But here the electronics augment their songs and add a refreshing depth. On most tracks, keyboards trade jabs effortlessly with guitars.

The first three-fourths of Tonight are FF’s most mature and cohesive group of songs to date. It’s the last three tracks that will determine the ultimate fate of this band. Well, one track in particular.

The nearly eight-minute epic “Lucid Dreams” is a journey that most bands shouldn’t dare take. The song’s first half fits perfectly with the rest of the album —electro-funk that incorporates their newfound gadgets and effects. Then the live instruments start to fade out and a rave from ’97 takes over. As a single song, “Lucid Dreams” sounds at odds with itself. In context with the rest of the album, though, it works surprisingly well.

Closing the disc and bringing us back to reality is the acoustic number “Katherine Kiss Me.” It shows that, when all the bells and whistles are taken away, Franz Ferdinand can still wow us with an awkward love song that begs to be in a Wes Anderson movie.

The band took some risks with Tonight, risks that artistically have mostly paid off. Will Franz Ferdinand become hipster darlings again? Probably not, but who said that’s a bad thing. (Domino/Sony)

Franz Ferdinand on the web: http://www.franzferdinand.co.uk/