 It’s been a long time waiting for Metric fans to get their hands on new material from the band. Sure their last release was only in 2007, but Grow up and Blow Away was actually a delayed release for what should have been their debut album. So as 2005 saw their most recent release of new tracks (their career highlight Live it Out), it may be expected/hoped/feared (delete as appropriate) that Metric’s sound would have moved on a little in the four years since, especially as the band have all been involved in side/solo projects. Many of their critics have rather unfairly labelled the band an unnecessary accompaniment to Emily Haines’ undoubtedly beautiful vocals; an unwelcome distraction from what her voice alone offers. In truth the band have always offered much in their own right, not least to the excellent songwriting on display on Live it Out.
Indeed Haines’ solo album demonstrated that whilst you can really dine out on her voice when the songs she sings are more stripped down, the songs themselves are not strong enough without the band’s input, in particular that of guitarist Jimmy Shaw. The problem with Metric was always that, up until Live it Out they never quite managed the kind of consistency that would truly fulfil their promise. Sadly Fantasies suggests that perhaps they have spent too much time away from each other artistically, and their moment of consonance has been lost.
The lack of consistency of course means that Fantasies certainly has highlights; “Help I’m Alive”, “Sick Muse” and “Front Row” are all the kind of fantastic little pop nuggets that Metric mined so gainfully on Live it Out and less frequently on previous efforts. It opens with “Help I’m Alive”, where a slightly maudlin verse gives way to a chorus of pure unadulterated pop that almost sounds as though it belongs to another song (Grow up and Blow Away ‘s ‘Soft Rock Star’ perhaps). The drums in particular demonstrate just why Haines would be foolish to listen to Metric’s critics.
The strong opening is endured with “Sick Muse”,anotherpop masterpiece that showcases Haines’ fantastic falsetto, probably the strongest point in her range. “Satellite Mind” is the first time that the band drop the baton; a rather unremarkable if pleasant enough song, it perhaps suffers most from following what preceded it. “Twilight Galaxy” is a nice mellow moment, but perhaps its placement is what’s wrong. The album needed a lift again after “Satellite Mind”, so a down-tempo track appears unwelcome.
“Gold Gun Girls” and “Gimme Sympathy” get the album back on track before another ‘filler’ track appears - “Collect Call”. The closing three tracks showcase everything that’s great about Metric; their pop nous (“Front Row”),their more tender, meditative moments (“Blindness”) and their potential future (“Stadium Love”). Undoubtedly the album’s biggest departure, “Stadium Love” is probably also the band’s biggest departure ever. It’s a massive electro club hit in waiting (knowing Metric’s luck, it will have to keep on waiting), a song they could take to a stadium in a more just parallel universe, and a fantastic way to close a largely brilliant album.
“Who’d you rather be, The Beatles of The Rolling Stones?” sings Haines on “Gimme Sympathy”. Well on the whole, despite Fantasies’ failings, I’m still perfectly happy with Metric being Metric.
Track list:
1. Help, I'm Alive
2. Sick Muse
3. Satellite Mind
4. Twilight Galaxy
5. Gold Guns Girls
6. Gimme Sympathy
7. Collect Call
8. Front Row
9. Blindness
10. Stadium Love
Last edited by altsounds : May 11, 2009 at 12:34 AM.
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| | | | Overall Rating | | 7 | | Vocals / Lyrics | | 8 | | Musicianship | | 7 | | Production | | 6 | | Creativity | | 7 | | Lastability | | 8 | | Reviewers Tilt | | 9 |
74% | |
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