By By Billy Florio
Newsweek calls them “rock’s saviors.” Entertainment Weekly says they are “rock’s biggest band” and Pitchforkmedia.com claims their new album is as good as their incredible debut.
There isn’t a publication around that has ever said a bad word about Franz Ferdinand-at least nothing negative has been read by these eyes. One might assume there is a collective effort by all media to push this band on us; and this then, must be the reason why publications everywhere are hailing this “hip, underground band,” from Spin and Rolling Stone to Cosmopolitan and National Notary Review.
It’s sickening to see all this sucking-up to one band just because they’re not mainstream! In fact, this reviewer has only heard one bad thing about Franz Ferdinand ever-a friend’s opinion: “The new album sucks, Billy.” It’s refreshing to hear that-a dissenting opinion-even if deep down, the hope that they were wrong flourished.
This band from Scotland produced a truly exceptional album last year. The media jumped on it, naming it one of the best records of the year.
The hit single “Take Me Out” started getting radio play, starting with “New York’s Alternative Rock Station” K-ROCK 92.3 to New York’s mainstream pop station Z100.
Their videos were aired on MTV2 and VH1 (yes, they still show videos there-between airings of the latest spin-off from The Surreal Life). At this point, calling them underground was just a way of saying it won’t appeal to fans of the latest band from Long Island to name themselves after a day of the week or mundane emotional action.
Trouble struck over the summer when Sony Music was caught taking part in payola-offering DJs incentives to play their label’s artists. Miraculously, the band received no bad press. Instead, the media chose to send their anger towards “those punks who have it too well,” Good Charlotte. See? Nothing bad is ever said about them!
All the media hoopla surrounding this album could drive a person to hate it before they even hear it. We already know it doesn’t fall into the dreaded “sophomore slump.”
This has been beaten into our heads over and over again since before the album came out. It gets so frustrating that the only thing that could possibly save this review from being totally contemptuous is the fact that for all the brown-noising the media is doing, they’re right. The album is pretty good.
There is nothing really new on this album, other than more of Rolling Stones influence. Also the amazing Smiths sound-a-like, “Walk Away,” opener “The Fallen” and the Beatlesque “Eleanor Put Your Boots On,” are unbelievable.
Other than that it’s just like their debut, and still just as good. If only more people would disagree.
The Chronicle gives “You Could Have it So Much Better,” by Franz Ferdinand three 1/2 stars out of five.
