Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| A.V. Club | (favorable) |
| NME | (9/10) |
| Pitchfork Media | (8.3/10) |
| PopMatters | |
| Robert Christgau | A− |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Guardian | |
| The Observer | |
| Uncut | |
| Yahoo! Music | (9/10) |
The album received universal acclaim by music critics with a score 83 of 100 on Metacritic. Pitchfork Media gave the album an 8.3 out of 10 and complimented the band on returning with a "big ridiculous stomper, a song whose hooks get so happily ballroom-glam you'd almost think they stole them from the Sweet or the Bay City Rollers-- the kind of song most bands wouldn't be able to pull off without telegraphing a whole lot of irony and embarrassment". Other positive responses are included here:
- Rolling Stone (No. 985, p. 75) - 3.5 out of 5 stars - "You Could Have It So Much Better" shows deeper roots in the first wave of white electric dance music: specifically the crunchy-guitar R&B and arch-garage songwriting of 1965–1967 Kinks...."
- Spin (p.65) - Ranked #3 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005" - "Their second disc builds on the kraut-disco of their debut, but frontman Alex Kapranos' dubious sensitivity makes 'You could have it' so much better than its predecessor." (p. 132) - "Kapranos' voice is a marvelous wide-eyed sneer.... sounds exactly like what you'd expect, with pumping disco beats and lookin'-sharp guitars on track after propulsive track." - Grade: B+
- Entertainment Weekly (No. 844, p. 147) - "...Shows Franz Ferdinand working harder and sounding bigger, befitting their stature as rock's saviors of the moment...." - Grade B+
- Mojo (p. 58) - Ranked #11 in Mojo's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2005" - "An imperious state-of-the-nation address delivered with ease."(p. 94) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Musically, the palette has grown without getting out of hand. Lead guitarist Nick McCarthy appears to have an inexhaustible well of singable guitar riffs: pungent, perfunctory, and hardly ever pretty..."
- Vibe (p. 210) - "It overflows with danceable beats and catchy hooks".
Read more about this topic: You Could Have It So Much Better
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