Metric
Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (Enjoy)
By Amber Drea
Published: June 9th, 2003 | 7:03pm
Amid the outburst of retro '70s rawknroll and '80s electro that has been exploding lately, there is a band that melds the styles of decades past in a refreshing way. Metric even goes so far as to recall the British and Boston-based pop-rock bands of the mid-'90s. I knew it would happen someday; I just didn't think it would be only three years into the new millennium.
With their first full-length, released on Enjoy "Everloving" Records, the Toronto emigrés to Los Angeles blend Emily Haines' unabashedly synthetic keyboard sounds with James Shaw's high-powered guitars and syncopated rhythms. They have taken the pop sensibilities of Duran Duran, Blondie, and the Cure and added the wise naïveté of Juliana Hatfield and Frente with the impatient schizophrenia prominent in the music of Matt Mahaffey, a.k.a. Self. The album's production is mature and professional, while the songs remain fun and spontaneous.
Haines' vocals, a delicately smooth speak/sing, are brought to the forefront of the mix. Her off-kilter modal melodies are unpredictable yet provide just enough repetition to be catchy. She maintains the bright clarity of her lilting warble even when singing notes so low that she seems to be joking. Her lyrics are often full of tongue-in-cheek word play and biting sarcasm, but at times are poignantly poetic.
Although she once exclaimed "No love songs!" in an interview, the closing line of the sweetest track on the album is "Tonight your ghost will ask my ghost / 'Who put these bodies between us?'" However, her subject matter is usually much more abstract, such as "Succexy," a union of the words "success" and "sexy," in which she mentions "passive attraction programmed reaction / More information cash masturbation."
Despite Metric's obviously nostalgic combination of musical genres, during "Dead Disco" Haines ironically sings, "Remodel / Everything has been done." On "Wet Blanket," with its upbeat rhythmic structure reminiscent of the Knack's "My Sharona," she asks, "Is it wrong to want more than a folk song?" further addressing the act of songwriting itself. And to contribute further to Metric's kitsch, Haines has no qualms in using gibberish like "doo doo" or "la la" in her refrains.
Metric has produced an album of dense pop-rock tunes that get stuck in your head for days, but continue to entertain the easily bored ear. The frequent changes are surprising for such tightly packed three- to four-minute songs, which always end leaving you wanting more. Rarely slowing down for reflection, Metric's Old World Underground is a delightful break from the heavy-handed emo-influenced indie rock and the trend of highly distorted feedback-laden bands that have recently swamped the music scene. I enthusiastically recommend listening to Metric with a glass of rum and Fresca on the rocks and plenty of room to dance.
Issue #13
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