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The first single, "You're the Reason I'm Leaving," is a bouncy little number that takes the idea of bailing on a bad relationship and puts a giddy and downright pompous spin on the situation.
Right out of the gate, So Much Better gets the listener's toe tapping frantically with the excellent album opener "The Fallen," which contains plenty of hooky guitar lines and drum action, and "This Boy," in which the simple yet effective chorus, "I want a car! I want a car!" will have the listener singing right along, even if they happen to have, well, a car.
"Eleanor Put Your Boots Back On" was the most surprising track on the album to me, as it sounds like a lost B-side from a Beatles recording session and it's done quite well. Franz proves that not only is it good at getting those squirmy hipsters out on the dance floor, but can also create a tranquil, piano-driven song that pulls on those heartstrings.
The band duplicates this feat again on "Fade Together," which puts the brakes on the disco for a bit, letting Franz reveal its softer side for a few minutes.
Of course, the band gets right back to a comfortable breakneck speed on the rest of the album.
While a couple songs fall short of excellence, the overall tone of So Much Better will cheer up even the saddest of souls and get them bopping along happily to the frenetic sounds of this stellar four-piece.
Franz Ferdinand had the unfortunate timing to hit it big when other retro-rockers were gaining popularity -- bands such as The Killers and, even on a smaller scale, Interpol. Comparisons were inevitable.
However, So Much Better may very well prove to set these Glasgow Scotsmen farther apart from their peers and give them well-deserved recognition for the best weapon in their arsenal: infectious and creative dance-pop.
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