[Jun. 13th 2012 – Universal Music Canada/Mom + Pop // Find it at: iTunes | Insound]
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Balancing what’s real and what’s artificial, Metric appear as if they’re having a difficult time shaping Synthetica into the superior indie rock album everybody wants, and if you believe that, you’re listening too hard. The Toronto four-piece aren’t pop perfectionists – their music contains too much depth, purity and sharpness to burst with filler – but they’re instead genuine composers who blend ambiguity with bliss. Ever since Static Anonymity and Knives Don’t Have Your Back, they’ve let their chemistry ripple out substance. Fast forward fourteen years and Emily Haines, Jimmy Shaw, Josh Winstead and Joules Scott-Key can still grind guitars into staggering noise (“Artificial Nocturne”, “Synthetica”), shove feverish percussion to the forefront and melt keys into euphoric numbers that don’t know when to quit being catchy (“The Void”). And that’s the thing about Synthetica; it is an album lacking the parasitic nature of its predecessor Fantasies, where Metric elaborated on their study of the guitar, but the hooks make up for every slip and pitfall the record presents. It’s not poetry, but Haines knows how to use tightly wound grooves to engrave a lyric and a melody into the abyss of your mind and leave it there until it decides to thrive. Rest assured, Synthetica will.
Download: “The Void”, “Artificial Nocturne”, “Clone”
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At first listen this album may not live up to ‘superior’ expectations but after a quiet hour alone taking in Haines lyrics and the tight arrangements in each track, its hard to deny that Synthetica is a welcome addition to the Metric Discography. This album from concept to creation gives the fans an opportunity to grow, reflect and celebrate with the band, which will only show itself more evident this evening at the Opera House fan show. Hope to see you all there!
Loving the album so far, apart from ‘The Void’ and ‘Nothing But Time’, but they might grow on me. Breathing Underwater and Lost Kitten are on their way to becoming to of my favorite Metric tunes along with ‘IOU’ and ‘Love is a Place’.
Good review. Got my attention. I have just bought the CD and am about to start listenind to it. Going to see them live at the Wireless festival. This ia a band I love so I will forgive them a lot if the album is not perfect.