Metric
Fantasies

After four years of waiting, the latest album from Metric has arrived, already reaching the top spot on the College-Band chart in Canada and the US. We were waiting to see where Metric would end up after their previous three albums (all good), and now we know everything. They have lowered the tone of the electric guitars, increased the use of synths, and now here is an album that we can without problems place alongside the early works of Garbage (the better ones, therefore). For those who aren't familiar with them, the comparison with Garbage also comes from the presence of the singer. Beautiful voice, by the way. On the first listens of the other albums, I imagined it differently. Physically, it disappointed me a bit, and I don't recognize an adequate stage presence to match the beauty of the songs. In interpretation, she has a lot to learn from Shirley Manson. But that's another discussion. The album, though, is truly enjoyable and can be listened to multiple times. Good to have in the background while doing other things. The 45s extracted from this album are abundant, we're already at three, and more could come.

The listening impressions: you can really feel the work of the production, which did well in giving everything a sense of sonic compactness. The producer is the same James Shaw, guitar man and co-leader of the group along with singer Emily Haines. To achieve this effect, Shaw puts drums and bass at the forefront and supports the guitars and keyboards. In previous albums, it was the opposite, with the guitars standing out. The sound was more fragmented but perhaps also less predictable. This is not meant as an open criticism of "Fantasies," the album is really good, let's just say it's the acknowledgment of a change in direction. The album flows with linearity as if it were a long pop medley. The level of the tracks is always good with some highlights that stand out from the rest. But what is most appreciated is the sense of continuity and homogeneity overall. Metric comes out as the standard-bearers of pop-rock in 2009.

Happy listening. Alext