|
Franz Ferdinand is basically just a band out of Glasgow.
They were formed around 2001 when front man Alex Kapranos set out to make music
that people could dance to and also to prove that rock didn't have to be so
serious. He aligned himself with bassist Bob Hardy, percussionist Paul
Thomson and guitarist Nick McCarthy. It's a very funny story to hear how this
band may have never come about.
When McCarthy and Kapranos met they got into an argument about a bottle of
vodka. Before the situation went to blows, Kapranos asked McCarthy if he played
the drums, to which he lied and said yes. Funny stories like this are what keep
the band a close-knit group as they have attempted to continue their happy rock
dancing music.
Franz Ferdinand is a unique band. Much like Sum41, they feature three
vocalists and a bassist who does not sing. Their music is much different from
Sum41, so don't expect to see them play together. Their original, self-titled
album featured the song, "Take Me Out," which really got Franz Ferdinand noticed.
So let's see how You Could Have It So Much Better rated.
"The Fallen" starts things off on this CD. It is a poppy beat that sounds a
little too familiar compared to their other songs. It is very catchy, though, and
could be the next single. My only wish is that it didn't sound so familiar.
"Do You Want To" is the first single off their album. It has been on the
Modern Rock Top 100 Chart for the last 9 weeks and peaked at number 4 on
the chart. It is very catchy and has an amazing beat. Once again, it sounds
awfully familiar, but it is good.
"This Boy" is by far one of the best tracks on the CD. With lyrics like, "I'll
have a slice of your mother," there is absolutely no way that you can't
like this track.
"Walk Away" treats everyone to a nicer sound that is much slower and different
from most of the other songs on the CD. I really liked this track just for the
sudden change of pace.
"Evil and a Heathen" at times is quite hard to understand and follow. The
lead singer has a problem with shouting and mumbling all at once--a bad mixture.
There is a much older quality to the song. It sounds like it is playing from a
record, which is a good sound.
"You're the Reason I'm Leaving" is just dull. There's not much beat to it but
not much fuss to it either. It's not bad, but it's not good, either. It's a
filler.
"Eleanor, Put Your Boots Back On" sounds like a children's song. It is very
quiet and
talks about Coney Island. There is very little guitar and more keys to it than
anything else. It's a unique sound and quite surprising.
"Well That Was Easy" goes right back to the beginning of the CD with the similar
sounding songs. We get that catchy beat from Franz Ferdinand that we are used
to, but it
mixes in that previous slow beat as well. It doesn't flow all too well, but it
is catchy.
"What You Meant" is another track that just doesn't do anything for me. Just
like "You're the Reason I'm Leaving," I just can't find anything exciting or
distinctive about this track.
"I'm Your Villain" starts off with some nice drumming. It has a bit of a sound
like you'd hear on an old Batman episode. It's very catchy throughout the
song,
and the beat changes about every 10 seconds.
"You Could Have It So Much Better" is a great track. It has an amazing guitar
rhythm to it, and the vocals done by Kapranos are powerful during the song. You
can tell he is having a great time doing it.
"Fade Together" is another really slow song. It has such a weird sound to it
that I can't even begin to describe it. It's a love song, and it's good. It
sounds a lot like Queen, which isn't very unusual for this band. No, it doesn't
sound like they're imitating one of their songs, but it sounds like something
you might think Queen could have done.
"Outsiders" has a fantastic beat and is a great CD finisher. It has a bit of a
disco beat to it, which isn't altogether that bad. In my opinion, it is a
completely different sound than the rest of the CD. The song is definitely one
of the better tracks, and I'm definitely glad the CD ends on a good note.
Altogether, this CD is pretty darn good. With the exception of some songs
sounding similar to the previous album and some fillers that were stuck in
there, I enjoyed the CD. The good definitely outweighs the bad, and it's worth a
listen. I recommend this CD to anyone who liked the previous Franz Ferdinand
album or is a fan of Modest Mouse, The Killers or other similar bands.
Together on a four star scale, You Could Have It So Much Better gets: *** 1/2
Joseph belongs to the League of Extraordinary Batman, no really, he does.
|
