It's very easy to judge a band by the first song that you hear from them. It's usually enough for you to make a decision, and if you hear little more by them in the future, then that will probably remain your opinion. Candian synth-rockers Metric came to our attention last year with the sub-Yeah Yeah Yeah's rock-pop standard 'Monster Hospital.' It was shouty and lively and went down a storm in the indie disco's. I wasn't fond and until now had thought little more of METRIC.
The expectation was more of the same, but the reality was something different. Metric seem to be a prettier band than 'the hit' would have suggested. 'Grow Up and Blow Away' is a collection of lush indie-pop songs in the vain of Saint Etienne and Dubstar. In the first instance this is a pleasant surprise, but somewhere in the middle of the album, the whole formula starts to wear a little.
The album's title track is a dreamy affair with the killer line “If this is the life why does it feel so good to die today?” It's something of a classic in it's field – like Hot Chip taking a rest, sung by Nina from The Cardigans. This is followed by 'Hardware' which starts off conventionally
The largely spoken word 'Rock Me Now' fits in nicely with current popularity of Peter, Bjorn and John and other chill-out bands. It's a charming song set on a few simple beats – almost approaching jazz at some points; a soundtrack to the summer that never was. It's Eel's 'Susan House': the sequel, with lines like “When she was 7 years old she saw a man get shot but no one came along for a long time because it happened in a remote parking lot in Las Vegas.” 'The Twist' is a snarling little number that is no less sweet for the bitterness that seeps through it. The emphasis on keyboards is an effective move, and the formula of simple beats over singer Emily Haines' little-girl-lost voice works so far.
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But then by this point it feels like you've heard it all. 'On The Sly' is more anonymous than the predecessors and it's hard to retain interest. From hereon it's all background music. Alluring as the voice is, there's not much range in it. 'Soft Rock Star' is also forgettable and drags on for an incredibly long time. It's less dreamy and more dull. 'Raw Sugar' is enjoyable, like a less nails on blackboard Amy Winehouse song. It's an acoustic number with a bit of a twist. The lyrics shine through again; “I don't want to die living in a high rise grave” is one of the darkest things to have been sung this year.
The lyrics are definitely a high point. It makes the album more rewarding to listen than taking it on face value. These are tales of the disaffected, told in an innocent way. That side of things is effective. “White Girl” would be haunting if it were just a little more interesting. There needs to be a little more ideas wise to act a more effective platform for the pretty unusual songs. On paper, the lyrics for this album would read as some of the starkest poetry to emanate from a band in a good while. But the lack of emotion on many of the songs on the latter half of the album prevent this.
It's definitely worth giving Metric a rethink. There's more to them than you might be think, but at the moment not that much more.
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