A sold out show at La Zona Rosa indicated that Metric has finally reached a point in their careers where you couldn’t argue with their growing popularity. Fresh on the heels of the release of their latest album, Fantasies, the group came to Austin with the intention of showing just why you love them so much. Follow the jump for full review and some fancy photos.
Metric is on their way to Austin, and I had a chance to catch up with our friend Emily Haines over the phone to discuss all things Metric. After briefly discussing my role as a future game show host, we got straight down to business. Thanks to Emily for her time, and to Myles for setting things up.
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When Headlights released Some Racing, Some Stopping, they showed hints of absolute pop glory. ”Cherry Tulips” was one of the best songs I heard that year, and I still use it, but could they build on the continued promise and move forward with their third album Wildlife?
Whilst recording the album, turmoil struck the band, and they lost a guitarist, so it won’t surprise many to see this album as a side-step, rather than a natural progression. Erin Fein’s presence is definitely felt here more prominently than I expected, as each song is filled to the brim with her fusion of keyboards and angelic vocals. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a record you can dismiss, it just doesn’t necessarily live up to the dreams in my head; then again, little does.
“Secrets” is one of the songs you’ll definitely fall in love with once you get your hands, and ears, on it. Slowly it builds with keyboards and rimshots, but the faster the handclaps go, the faster the song seems to pick up the pace, before it bursts forth. Juxtaposed to this tune is “You and Eye,” which builds on some of the haziness from the band’s first album, Kill Them With Kindness. It’s a song that seems to trod along, built upon the voice of Fein and her little electronic flourishes.
One of the standout tracks comes just as early, but the oddity here is that Tristan Wraight seems to take the spotlight from Fein. His voice recalls the sunny-side of pop music, and the song is structured carefully around the percussion and guitar work. This definitely is the direction I saw the band heading when I got my hands on this album, but unfortunately it’s one of the distinct moments, only because there aren’t many songs that live up to it on Wildlife.
By the middle album, the group seems to have taken the middle ground between Emily Haines solo work and Stars. Not all will find this as a disappointment, as those bands deserve as much acclaim as they get. But, the problem with songs such as “Long Song for Buddy” or “Wisconsin Beaches,” which is an acoustic number, is not that they aren’t enjoyable or artistic, but rather that they seem to be a lackluster performance in comparison to the brighter moments of the record, and the promise of the record before. Clearly, the lyrics point to a darker side of the human relationship, dealing with love and loss throughout as the subject matter, but one can still discuss such things with a certain panache. The fact that it’s not there is what holds this album back from being one of the great indie-pop albums of the year, but if you take a careful look inside, you’ll find that Headlights have left you with plenty to be happy about.
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Download: Headlights – Get Going [MP3]
I think you all knew that ATH would go here at some point and alas today is the day that I take the leap and display our true male hormone driven selves with a top 5 about the hot ladies of indie rock. I won’t beat around the bush here, this post has little to do with the musical talents of these ladies, and more to do with how they drive me crazy with their good looks. I promise not to offend anyone and also promise that these women have made my list because they are empowered and musically talented women who also just so happen to be pleasing on the eyes. I love them all and would probably just turn into a bumbling idiot if they ever actually spoke to me… You will see a lot of familiar faces on the list and probably take issue with some big names being left off. I love you too Feist and Neko, just not quite enough for you to break into my Top 5. If you really wanted to mess me up, you should have gotten to me sooner! Follow the jump for our full top 5 breakdown.
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It has been extremely difficult not to fall in love with Metric; the band has consistently put out enjoyable pop tunes throughout their evolution as a band. Their fourth album, Fantasies, is just another progressive step in whatever direction the band chooses to go. Yes, maybe it’s not the same band that you couldn’t get enough of on Old World Underground, but this album is stocked full of fantastic singles and even more ridiculously good moments than ever before.
The world caught wind of “Help, I’m Alive” a few months back, and the album couldn’t have a better opener than this. As the synthesizer and drums push the song forward, you are on the edge of the seat waiting for the song to crash down, but as always, the band remains coy, pulling back with just enough restraint to play innocent; that is until Emily hits the high notes, and warms your ears. “Sick Muse” follows immediately keeping the fast pace. It’s a lot more straightforward than previous songs in the Metric canon, but the chorus is where the band seems to excel this time around. In fact, the choruses throughout the album are one of the elements that differentiates this album from the past.
You’ll also find some moments on this album that seem like they were skeletons left in Emily Haines’ closet as she wrapped up her solo work to work on this album. ”Twilight Galaxy” is just such a song, as it rests on “oohs” and what sounds like a programmed drum track. While one could complain about such a moment being on this record, it shows just how far Haines has come since her inception as rock-goddess extraordinaire. “Gimme Sympathy” is a similar song, though it’s fleshed out a bit more by the presence of the rest of the band. All in all, it’s a twist we hadn’t seen yet, and it’s one that works well for the band.
Unfortunately, a lot of the angular guitar work is gone from this album, or at least it has hidden itself behind the hills of electronic presence. On one hand, this makes this album ready for those who wish to take it to the dance floor, as the synths will definitely blast out of speakers around the world, but it also makes the album comes across as a lot more polished than before. The ferocity of the group here is subdued; Emily now is more than just the pretty face of the band. She seems to be the leader in every sense here, and for some, that might be a little disheartening.
Suffice it to say that most of those fans who fell in love with the band will still be happy with the most recent output, as there are gems all over this record. Who knows where the next step will lead the band, but as long as they can continuously pump out pop music this good, they are sure to have followers for years to come.
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While most people tend to turn their love and adoration towards Jenny Lewis, I’m more of a Emily Haines sort of guy. Seeing as how I love Emily, and her killer band Metric, I’m excited to throw a new song your way. Here you go, the track is called “Help I’m Alive”:
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Download: Metric – Help Im Alive [MP3]
©2010 Austin Town Hall, a venture of Paravel
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