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  EW review: Franz Ferdinand is 'Better'Also: Enjoyable Keys, schmaltzy MartinBy Will Hermes  YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(Entertainment Weekly) -- Britpop seems to rally itself once a decade, and it's about that time again. The last round sputtered in the late '90s -- Oasis sunk by hubris insupportable without more ''Wonderwall''s, Radiohead and Blur choosing artiness over world domination (though Radiohead achieved it anyway). This latter strategy proved soundest: In pop as in politics, New Britannia is better suited to leading by progressive example than by American-style bullying. Which brings us to Franz Ferdinand, who may or may not herald a new era of U.K. pop, but certainly make a fan long for one. Last year's self-titled debut was familiar new-wave/garage revivalism that was still heads above the competition. The taut grooves were fairly irresistible, and singer Alex Kapranos was a louche charmer who never took himself too seriously. Among new rockers, they were sexier than even the Strokes; it's no wonder their appearance in porn art film "9 Songs" arrives in a postcoital glow. "You Could Have It So Much Better" shows Franz Ferdinand working harder and sounding bigger, befitting their stature as rock's saviors of the moment. But they remain amused by, and skeptical of, pop stardom. This could be a Scottish thing: Bands like Belle and Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, and Kurt Cobain's beloved Vaselines always made ''rock'' with an arched eyebrow. So it goes with "Better's" opener, ''The Fallen,'' a powerhouse collision of Beatles, Stones, and Kinks licks about Jesus (or a rock star with a Jesus complex). ''Do You Want To'' is a Cars-style come-on in what sounds like a groupie's voice. And ''Walk Away'' is an ambivalent kiss-off that leaves the drama-queen singer with tear-smudged mascara and a sarcastic vision of history collapsing. What's remarkable is how Franz Ferdinand make their camp so compelling. The band's tight, sometimes downright funky arrangements -- powered by high-hat brutalizer Paul Thomson -- certainly help. And Kapranos makes the most of an average voice, yelping and crooning and conjuring everyone from Ray Davies to David Byrne. He cares enough to make you care, even when you wonder how much he does. On the delicate ''Fade Together,'' he aches for a great love to fade to a more manageable intensity. And on ''Eleanor Put Your Boots On,'' surely (also?) about Kapranos' girlfriend Eleanor Friedberger (of alt-rock quirk collective the Fiery Furnaces), he suggests she leap off the Coney Island roller coaster and fly to his side of the Atlantic -- where he ''could be'' waiting when she lands. Then again, he could not be. It's a testament to his cheeky art that she's likely to be flattered either way. EW Grade: B+ 'Unplugged,' Alicia KeysReviewed by David Browne As Alicia Keys' career has borne out, merely being a talented vocalist or musician isn't enough these days. Keys' albums are tricked-up with beats that don't always feel natural; on stage, she's saddled with choreographed, costume-heavy production numbers. (And yes, movies are next; she'll star in her first feature, "Smoking Aces," in 2006.) "Unplugged," which marks the revival of MTV's show of the same name, is a predictable next step, meant to ram home the idea that Keys is a classy ''artist.'' But by focusing on Alicia Keys the musician (rather than Alicia Keys the empire), it's also the most cohesive of her three albums. Granted, there's very little ''unplugged'' about arrangements that include string and horn players, backup singers, and a band with the occasional electric keyboard. But clones of vintage soul rarely get better than ''A Woman's Worth,'' ''Diary,'' and ''If I Ain't Got You,'' all of which benefit from the series' (relatively) unencumbered format and medium-simmer grooves that suit Keys just fine. Keeping her melismatic tendencies in check, she does right by an actual R&B oldie, ''Every Little Bit Hurts,'' although her new ''Unbreakable'' is essentially tabloid fodder with a beat: Keys name-checks ''Will and Jada,'' ''Oprah and Stedman,'' and even ''the Jacksons'' as examples of role models for ''our dreams.'' All together now: The Jacksons? Keys needn't have hauled out Maroon 5's ordinary-throated Adam Levine for a diluted take on the Stones' ''Wild Horses,'' and a left-field cameo by Damian Marley on a cover of his hit ''Welcome to Jamrock'' just feels opportunistic. But for once, Unplugged largely leaves Keys' runaway careerism in the dressing room, where it belongs. EW Grade: B+ 'Life,' Ricky MartinReviewed by Raymond Fiore Six years after becoming the Latin explosion's premier cash cow, Ricky Martin has abandoned cheesy bon-bon-shaking jams for cheesy Usher-lite pop. Some tracks from "Life," like the Scott Storch-produced first single ''I Don't Care'' and the reggaeton foray ''Drop It on Me,'' are not without their glossy charms, but Martin's demo-singer schmaltz consistently clashes with his shoulder-tattoo-and-edgy-haircut persona on the CD's cover: He's way too square to be hip. EW Grade: C- Click Here 
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