Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It So Much Better

This sophomore effort from Scottish fivesome Franz Ferdinand isn't so much a follow-up to their 2004 serf-titled debut as it is the payoff. The group's herky-jerky nods to the Clash and the Specials are still there as they spastically bounce through propulsive tracks like "The Fallen," "You're the Reason I'm Leaving," and "Do You Want To," with singer Alex Kapranos's surly croon leading the procession.

But elsewhere they venture into more unexpected territory with a patently twisted joie de vivre: "Walk Away," for example, evokes early R.E.M.; "Fade Together" is an evil campfire ballad that would cause Nick Cave to raise an eyebrow; and "Eleanor" sounds like an outtake from the Beatles' White Album (1968). It's rousing, rollicking, and ridiculously good.

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