From Iceland — Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better

Published September 2, 2005

Franz Ferdinand’s debut album was an international phenomenon that used a disco beat to revise rock. The tunes were full of come ons and relationship troubles, with the overall message that rock should be fun and slightly witty again. You Could Have It So Much Better is slightly witty, too. It employs similar beats as the earlier album, and the same vocal patterns with EXTREMELY pronounced feminine rhymes (“So I’m sorry if I ever RESISTED, I never had a doubt that you ever EXISTED”), which may be where they got their “witty” reputation from. It almost feels formulaic, but, curse Franz Ferdinand, it’s still catchy. And their new album does sound a little more raw. You want to be annoyed, but you keep listening, and the songs stick in your head. It’s a shame.