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Get ready, because everybody’s favorite band named after the assassinated Archduke of Austria is back. After a four year hiatus, Franz Ferdinand returns with a new album entitled Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions, and if you expect more of the same slicky alternative rock they have been playing for the past decade, then you will be sadly mistaken.

Their previous work—including 2009’s Tonight, a very underrated record—had made the band’s persona feel slick and sophisticated, which has worked for them over the years but this album feels like a total 180. Even though the album’s title is called Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions, this album goes against what they know to be right.

The first five tracks are good examples of this stylistic change, making Franz Ferdinand seem like they are actually having fun. With songs like “Love Illumination” and “Stand in the Horizon,” Franz Ferdinand showcases a plethora of hardcore guitar chords, electrifying keys, and an attitude all their own. The second half does fade out a little bit creatively and does not have the same impact, but it does not diminish the album as a whole.

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All in all, I do not think this is their best or worst album ever, but I do think it’s their most important because it will allow them to reach outside of the box with their creativity and experiment with different styles. This may not be the most memorable album of 2013 but it could end up being the most important.