Bringing a new album out so soon after the debut was a gamble but it paid off and it meant that the hype surrounding Franz Ferdinand didn't diminish. The songs on You Could Have It So Much Better are again fantastically OTT and they have beaten the second album disappointment syndrome.

You Could Have It So Much Better, Franz Ferdinand's second album miraculously manages to escape the second album curse. It is neither a carbon copy of the wickedly catchy debut or such a great leap forward as to confuse people. Instead it is Franz toying with some new textures and sounds as well as slightly different production values to prove that they can still write the same fantastic '80's melodies but also that they can change tempos successfully, write ballads and broaden their influences slightly.

On the whole, this record may not be as immediate as "Take Me Out" but it's got some classic Franz moments and is going to be hanging around the chart for the next year or so.