I am having it so much better with Franz

AllMusicGuide panned it. The Guardian, New Musical Express and Pitchfork loved it.
I am listening to Franz Ferdinand's sophomore effort, "You Could Have it So Much Better" while my family prepares -- rather chaotically -- for the day ahead. I quite like it.
When Franz Ferdinand burst on the scene, I thought the Glasgow art-rock quartet really breathed some fresh air into a rather deflated rock scene. I had grown soooo tired of the identical-sounding so-called "emo" bands and I resent the fact that people with no memories view the current crop of pop-punk bands as "original." They are as original as the Buzzcocks records in their older siblings' record collections.
So, I welcomed Alex Kapranos and the gang. They truly sounded fresh.
They still sound fresh on this second album, which comes as a relief to fans. Right now, I am listening to "Eleanor, Put Your Boots On," one of the romantic ballads -- romantic ballads!? -- that marks this new disc as different from the debut. It's a wonderful song!
In fact, this entire disc is enjoyable. You can dance to it and think to it. It sounds like Franz Ferdinand have beaten the "sophomore slump."