Review - Franz Ferdinand - You could have it all so much better

"Words of love and words of leisure, words are poisoned darts of pleasure"

Surely Franz Ferdindand, smart, incisive and witty as they come across, can never have foreseen their own words summing up their second album so aptly. The quirky, briskly romantic debut album of the same name has set Franz Ferdinand high standards as a band and may be the hardest barrier to achievement with the second.

As a huge fan of the first album's clever lyrics, wandering riffs and militaristic drum beats, there wasn't a question of whether I would get the second album but when.

The album kicks off in energetic fashion in stark contrast to the subtlety of Jacqueline and tries to keep up such a pace for most of the album. My initial thoughts on listening are that the album could do with the clever changes of pace used in the first one. However, it's clear that the second album is purposefully different to the first album. Whereas the first seemed to be happy with hard hitting simple tunes, there is notciably more going on with YCHISMB and at first listen, it sounds as though they may have successfully made a stylistic transition. Solid start. I'll see how it grows on me.