Metascore
83 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 32
  2. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. The trick is to cede the idea that Franz Ferdinand are meant to deliver the cohesive, moving, traditional Statement Albums their debut may have misled listeners to expect. Some people-- earnest people, like Bloc Party, Sufjan Stevens, and the Arcade Fire-- will go on trying to fill that niche. Franz Ferdinand, though, aren't going to do that, and good on them: We can only hope they'll go on offering us cheeky, energetic surprises.
  2. You Could Have... doesn't take you on the journey of highs and lows that the very greatest albums do. Its Greatest Hits feel is both its major strength and its major weakness. [Oct 2005, p.108]
  3. 90
    A brilliant second album unembarrassed about building on the strengths of the first, delivering 13 knockout tunes betraying not an ounce of flab or self-indulgence. [Nov 2005, p.94]
  4. 83
    Sounds exactly like what you'd expect. [Oct 2005, p.132]
  5. An album which radically extends the Franz musical palette.
  6. What's remarkable is how Franz Ferdinand make their camp so compelling. [14 Oct 2005, p.147]
  7. Their first album was one of the strongest debuts in recent memory and this is an equally impressive follow-up.
  8. The trend for disappointing follow-ups bucked with enviable panache, You Could Have It So Much Better leaves you eager, rather than concerned, about Franz Ferdinand's next album.
  9. A full-on party record. [Nov 2005, p.201]
  10. Franz Ferdinand have slightly tweaked the neo-Brit-pop genre – mixing in funk, dashes of punk, and a bit of disco – and come out with a sophomore album even more confident and hungry for glory than their debut.
  11. Despite the quick gestation, it's actually better than the successful debut - a rare enough occurrence - and the direction in which they've pushed things is equally surprising.
  12. Far more than a sequel. [3 Oct 2005]
  13. At the end of the day this is a bit more of a grower than the last one, but is easily as good.
  14. It's a stunning, confident piece of work that suggests the band is merely getting started.
  15. They've gotten unmistakably louder and unmistakably gayer--or perhaps I mean, hate the term, more metrosexual.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 158 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 102
  2. Negative: 9 out of 102
  1. SebaB
    10
    It's the firts album that makes me imitating guitarsolos
  2. 10
    You Could Have It So Much Better (in my opinion) improves upon a great debut album with one that has songs that are more punchy and catchy than their self-titled debut. This is one of the best times I have had while listening to an album, and would recommend this record highly. Full Review »
  3. 0
    One of the worst albums I've had the displeasure of buying. It possesses all of the pretension of the early '00s indie movement without any of the charm of the hits on the band's first album. Full Review »