Reviews

For a band whose initial goal was to make the ladies gyrate with glee, Franz Ferdinand have certainly become a lot deeper than a bunch of horny DJs.  Their heavily anticipated follow-up to 2004's smash self-titled debut (the over exposed pop powerhouse with the brown and orange 70s decor) has arrived with enough bravado to ensure standing ovations, void of the bells and whistles attached to their new wave beginnings. 

But this record, You Could Have It So Much Better, is far more than just an encore.  Franz Ferdinand has built their career on complete confidence.  It seems these Scots have never been particularly timid (singer Alex Kapranos is a former bouncer and drummer Paul Thompson was a nude model known for his well-endowed assets), as their first record was based on unwavering sexuality and scandalous disco beats.  It was all so undeniably catchy, dripping with electro flavor and sing-song choruses—but their gimmick was deemed a trend.  They were either going to be a band that evolved gracefully, or become quickly irrelevant.  A sophomore slump seemed very possible.     

Thankfully Franz Ferdinand maintains their stamina—and rather than continue the seduction, they've grown up a bit.  Yes, it is an album with actual variation, and not merely 13 tracks of rush hour favorites.  It even begins by picking a fight.  "The Fallen" welcomes with a single line of Nicholas McCarthy's distortion, an instant realization that You Could Have It is very back to basics, but in the traditional rock 'n' roll sense.    Kapranos provokes the listeners with an almost megalomaniac tone, asking "What's wrong with a little destruction?"  There are no ruins here.

You Could Have It is crammed with classic rock flavor.  Kapranos' signature hammy vocal tone takes on many forms, from the do-wop opening of "Do You Want To" to the Elvis Costello-inspired "Walk Away".  McCarthy lays off the keyboard effects for straight forward riffs and nostalgic twangs.  Also, the inclusion of actual ballads (not a foreign concept after all) reveals a depth both lyrically and influentially not before seen.  "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" explores a budding romance in New York City (rumored to be about Eleanor Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces), while Kapranos' inner John Lennon deals with the relationship's troubled times in "Fade Together".    

Not to say there still aren't plenty of frivolous moments.  "This Boy" and "Evil and a Heathen" stay true to the bouncy Franz their ideal audience (the bouncing ladies) love.  Thompson's percussion is still a bit humdrum, and bassist Robert Hardy is unsurprising—but it quickly becomes a non-issue behind the truckloads of energy and unwavering passion exuding from their frontmen.  It doesn't get much better than this.