Metric’s Fantasies Album: First Thoughts

It’s always sobering to hear a band for the first time and think you’ve uncovered this new gem only to discover that not only are they far from new but also prolific with thousands of fans and millions of plays.

That’s what happened with Metric.

The quasi-grunge-alternative-rock group first came onto my radar through – you guessed it – Pandora. “Dead Disco” was the title of the catchy track paired for the radio station I had created (I don’t recall what exactly the station was). “Brilliant!” I exclaimed to myself in the dark of my apartment – it was late and I hadn’t bothered to turn on lights. “Surely this is the new Garbage.” I happily crooned as I maneuvered to last.fm (still distraught that Garbage had disbanded).

Twenty million plays… Bugger. Not as fresh as I’d thought.

I guess the sense of loss, if you could call it that, was not particularly substantive since I still really liked the band and affinity can’t be diminished by the number of plays a group has, but it did manage to raise the question: “How did I not know about this group for the last decade?” I can take some solace in the fact that of the millions of artists on this planet the chances of me encountering even a slim fraction of them are limited – after all, how much variety can a person digest over the course of a normal lifetime? One would of course hope for a lot, but still there are big fish that slip through the net and it boggles my tiny mind.

Metric was admittedly not the direct Garbage scion that I had initially presumed it to be (the comparison was made after listening to only a few select songs), but it was close. Emily Haines uses her seductive, smoky vocals to the same effect as Garbage’s Shirley Manson, albeit to less sensual music. Metric, however, is a constantly changing beast.

I acquired their most recent album, “Fantasies,” and had a listen. The tone is somewhat industrial and a bit dark despite bright overtones… Maybe “encapsulated sadness” would be a good way to put it? The lyrics are catchy and the rhythms memorable and addicting, but “Fantasies” isn’t like their other material – it’s evolved.

I will admit that my exposure to their older works is limited (I hope to remedy that), but from what I can tell the group has progressed steadily from slower more indie/experimental music to – as one commenter on last.fm remarked – “busier” rock-infused sound. Not a bad progression if I do say so myself. In fact, the reason I purchased “Fantasies” over the other albums available was because I liked the more rock inspired feeling, and the harder the beats, the more feeling Emily seems to be able to put into the piece.

This is of course a first-thoughts piece that I will follow up on when I listen to more of there older work. In the mean time however, if you’ve never heard of Metric you should definitely look them up because they’ve already found a niche in my heart.

What to take away…

Metric is an evolving sound that currently sits somewhere around alternative rock. Check out their older stuff for softer tones that are equally as good as their modern pieces (if not different) and to analyze the transition for yourself.

What should you expect?

The feeling is almost-but-not-quite grungy, but expect beats that keep your head bopping if no other part of your body can find a reason to dance.

What to pair them with?

The modern stuff just seems too industrial to me for cocktails. I feel whiskey on the rocks although I’m not entirely sure why…

Favorite song?

“Help I’m Alive” is likely my favorite – it’s a bit experimental and opens with one of the best sequences I’ve ever encountered in music. “Gimme Sympathy,” however, is a close second with more of a pop feel to it.