The question that springs to mind before listening to Franz Ferdinand's new album, "You Could Have It So Much Better," is not whether the album is any good, but rather, will they be able to top the fever pitch they created with their debut album last year? While the album proves the band still possesses the musical prowess that made them famous, the answer is, unfortunately, no.
As a group, Franz Ferdinand is far from ordinary. When the band was formed four years ago in Glasgow, the bass guitarist had never played the bass and another band member was simply interested in making music girls could dance to. Eventually signed by independent Domino Records, their self-titled debut album met with heaps of critical acclaim, including a MTV Video Music Award. After a year divided between touring and studio recording, "You Could Have It So Much Better" is their sophomore effort.
The band sticks pretty closely to the sound they established on their previous album, with quirky guitar riffs, excitable drum undertones and the signature vocal arrangements of lead singer Alex Kapranos. Nearly every song is upbeat and potentially danceable.
Because they delivered pop-rock anthems "This Fire" and "Take Me Out" last time around, listeners will comb the tracks looking for the band's next mega-hit - and they won't find it. While every song sounds great, there is no breakaway track that will instantly lodge itself in the mainstream.
"Do You Want To" is the closest thing the album comes, a distinction it earns with a confluence of stirring musical elements. A thumping drum beat lays the groundwork for an '80s style guitar riff. The lyrics are vague enough to prohibit any real understanding of Kapranos, but he manages to maintain his reputation as a peculiar wordsmith, especially with the line, "Here we are at the Transmission party / I love your friends / They're all so arty." The crescendoing refrain "You're lucky lucky / You're so lucky," provides a powerful end to the song.
It still sounds a bit too familiar; not different enough from the band's established sound to raise eyebrows.
The band doesn't show much musical range on "So Much Better," but it isn't a crippling flaw. They are associated with no-frills pop-rock songs and the tracks here sound more polished than ever. It's no wonder that 11 of the album's 13 tracks feature thumping baselines, undistorted electric guitars and moderately catchy hooks.
To their credit, Franz Ferdinand manages to do this without ever exactly repeating themselves. Two consecutive tracks, "This Boy" and "Walk Away," manage to differentiate themselves despite being comprised of many of the same stylistic elements. "This Boy" is more classically Franz Ferdinand, with a sweeping guitar riff (sounding suspiciously similar to the beginning of their debut album's "Jacqueline"). "Walk Away," in contrast, is a mellower ballad, set to a tune not unlike '50s and '60s surf-rock.
The band goes on a limb for two tracks, "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" and "Fade Together." Both are refreshing interludes, depending more on whispered refrains and subtle piano stylings than abrasive rock guitars. Both have a surprisingly timeless feel. "Eleanor" is something Paul McCartney could have dug out of his attic and "Fade" could be an alternate version of "Happy Together" by the Turtles.
There just isn't enough of this diversity to bring "So Much Better" up from good to great. The biggest flaw of the album is the void of any real surprises. Franz Ferdinand needs to eschew the comfortable niche they carved last year and evolve musically before they lose their chance to reclaim their rapidly fading limelight.
