The title of Franz Ferdinand’s new LP, “You Could Have It So Much Better,” is indicative of the attitude the band brings forth during its sophomore effort, proclaiming to the world that the band isn’t content to merely coast by on its previous successes. While the band’s first album was infused with a ton of energy and more hooks than you could bait a fish with, this time around the band seems to have grown by sprinkling in some more mature tracks whilst still maintaining the decadent swagger that initially caught audiences’ attention.
In case anyone is still confused, no one in the band is named Franz Ferdinand. The band is actually named after the archduke of Austria, whose assassination in 1914 was one of the major causes of World War I. But, while naming your band after an historical figure might be considered suicide by some, Franz Ferdinand pulls it off with just the right mixture of pomp, swagger and pure fun. And you have to admit: It’s a damn catchy name.
The album opens excellently with “The Fallen,” a track that immediately gets your blood pumping and is similar lyrically to the hedonistic opener of their first album. It begins quickly with drums and bass, providng a solid background for driving guitar riffs, while the lyrics ask, “What’s wrong with a little destruction?” The mood lightens up momentarily in the middle for some uplifting “la la la’s” and drumbeat before combining everything for the finish.
The pace continues immediately into their first single, “Do You Want To,” whose ridiculous lyrics could only be taken seriously because of the extraordinary confidence the band possesses. Not only is the band rocking, but also you can tell its having a great time doing it, and one can’t help but get sucked into the party with it.
The main reason this album works better than the band’s first is that it’s much more pulled together as a cohesive unit. The first album suffered somewhat from too many fast, upbeat tracks in a row, while also dragging towards the end, giving the effect one feels towards the end of a night of too much drinking. This album surmounts its predecessor by placing strategic breaks between the faster, more exuberant songs in the form of slower, more mature pieces performing the tri-function of holding the album together, preventing over stimulation from the faster tracks and also elevating the band artistically.
While songs like “Do You Want To” hearken back to former Franz Ferdinand glory, songs like “Eleanor Put Your Boots On,” “Walk Away” and “Fade Together” prove the band’s capability at slower, interesting songs while expanding the band’s range.
“Eleanor Put Your Boots Back On” is a particularly great song that wouldn’t sound out of place on The Beatle’s “Revolver.” The song is a mini-masterpiece about lead singer and guitarist Alex Kaprano’s relationship with Fiery Furnaces’ Eleanor Friedberger and consists of great flowing vocals and piano.
While “You Could Have It So Much Better” doesn’t feature as much of the mass-appeal as the band’s debut, overall the album is consistently better than “Franz Ferdinand” and should satisfy core fans, as well as bringing new fans into the ranks of support.
