The Terrible Two?

Why is the 2nd album so much harder to top than the first? I've often thought of this looking at my record collection which is littered with great debuts, but not their followup. Most artists have a lifetime of songs built up for their debut, but when it comes to their 2nd they stumble. And it's because of pressure, being hurried and still reeling from the rewards of their first release.
2007 will bring many followups to debuts that I loved: Arctic Monkeys, Art Brut, Kaiser Chiefs, Arcade Fire and M.I.A. to name some. In fact the first followup is now out and it lives up to my post. Bloc Party's Welcome To The City is not as good as their debut, but it has its moments. It suffers from lack of great lyrics, even though it's a theme album. Its ideas and music carry the day. But this is a good band that will do better by #3. If they get there.