Franz Ferdinand”You Could Have It So Much…

Franz Ferdinand

“You Could Have It So Much Better with Franz Ferdinand”

Franz Ferdinand wasted no time following up its smash self-titled debut, and, on its face, this sophomore effort mines the same territory as its predecessor. But if the disc rarely strays from campy, cocky, high-strung ’80s rock, it’s clear the Scottish group made some effort to diversify its sound. There’s still plenty of skittery guitars and disco beats, but unfortunately, the lyrics remain mostly placeholders. The songs and stylish pop-music references fly by so fast and furious that their deficiencies rarely have time to register.

Best track: The laid-back beauty “Walk Away” is meant to make your heart swoon and head nod instead of making your feet move.