There’s nothing like a follow-up to a smash hit debut
to make or break an up-and-coming band. For every success story,
there’s another band that only rehashed the same formulas or whose
time in the spotlight passed before ever achieving more than
one-hit-wonder status.
Luckily for Glasgow rockers Franz Ferdinand, who
strode into the mainstream with the success of their 2004
self-titled album, the story went the right way. Slyly sidestepping
the dreaded sophomore slump, You Could Have It So Much
Better opens with “The Fallen,” where the upbeat, politically
charged lyrics scream single potential. The album continues along
in that vein for the next few tracks, namely the crunchy,
repetitive “Do You Want To,” which will most definitely get itself
stuck in your head beyond removal.
Among the hype surrounding this release, Franz
Ferdinand returned with a record that manages to incorporate their
signature stick-in-your-head blend of rock with more lazily paced,
almost folk-sounding tracks like “Eleanor Put Your Boots On” and
“Fade Together” that prove they’re more than just the typical
one-trick pony type of group.
Of course, if you’re searching for new revivals of
your now overplayed favorites from Franz Ferdinand, look no further
than tracks like “Walk Away,” which is reminiscent of the upbeat
choruses of Franz Ferdinand’s “Jaqueline,” or the unsurprisingly
energetic “This Boy.”
Franz Ferdinand do what they do best, creating
impeccably radio-friendly tracks while retaining their signature
insouciant approach. And sure, they may not be exactly the most
original of acts to emerge in recent years, but lead singer and
guitarist Alexander Kaprano’s distinctive delivery coupled with
memorable spurts of guitar licks prove to be a foolproof formula
for success.
