Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better

You Could Have It So Much Better is the second studio album by Franz Ferdinand, released in 2005. It continues the band’s knack for angular guitar hooks and danceable indie rock, but with a noticeable shift toward deeper grooves, broader textures, and richer production. Songs like “Do You Want To,” “Eleanor Put Your Boots On,” and the title track balance immediacy and indulgence—pop sensibility meeting post-punk heritage.

Throughout the record, Franz Ferdinand expand their sonic range without losing momentum. There’s an increased use of keyboards, percussion, and studio layering, giving many tracks a fuller sonic footprint. The band retains their sharp rhythms and tight interplay, but here the songs breathe more, allowing space for atmosphere, dynamics, and subtle emotional shading.

Reviews

“‘You Could Have It So Much Better’ finds Franz Ferdinand expanding without losing their bite; they deepen the songwriting and sound without surrendering the hooky anthems.” — NME

“The record shows for the first time the monsters behind the mirrors, the cracks in the carefully arranged heterosexual dancefloor universalism.” — The Guardian

“The album is sonically more ambitious than its predecessor, its touches of cinematic intensity and weight giving it an edge.” — AllMusic