Internal Debate: Metric, Fantasies

For me, it’s quite possibly my favorite album thus far of 2009. For others on our staff, Fantasies won’t even be close to the cut. Hence the reason we created Internal Debate – our latest feature series here at Stereo Subversion where we allow our Staff Writers to give several takes on one particular album. This time around, Metric’s latest, Fantasies, receives the groupthink treatment and the spectrum of opinions came out on this one.

Unlike our last effort, The Decemberists’ Hazards of Love – which most thought was a good-to-great effort, Emily Haines & Co. enthrall some and disappoint others. Take a listen and then read below to see which side you come out. And, of course, we’d love your opinions in the comments section.

Metric creates great, synth-y songs, and this hasn’t varied too much over the band’s 10 year discography. But for a band that sounds so consistent, it’s a rare gem for the songs to still play so fresh. Fantasies continues to serve up good pop/rock songs with almost every track. The bookends of the album stand out, with the building intro of “Blindness” and the haunting end of “Twilight Galaxy.” It makes missteps like “Help I’m Alive” easy to overlook amidst such solid work. [Melissa Muenz]

Synth-pop has its limits, and while some of their latest effort makes me want to get up and dance, it’s difficult to really admire an album as overtly derivative as Fantasies is. The album’s best track, “Blindness,” takes the slow-build process to its maximum, forgoing the four-to-the-floor dance crutch. But in the end, even it falls victim to the band’s influences, drawing too many Imogen Heap comparisons. A fun diversion, but little more, is all the latest from Metric really offers. [Jonathan Sanders]

Without Emily Haines’ airy-yet-intense vocals, Metric could be just another tightly wound, crunchy rock band with new-wave synth leanings. Thank god then for Haines’ presence and her innate lyrical and melodical sense; she elevates the band to a new level of musicianship. Fantasies is near-flawless in its musical execution and equally so on the listenability and repeatability factor. With songs like “Gimme Sympathy” (an absurdly catchy song that dares ask, “who would you rather be?/ The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?”) and louder numbers like “Stadium Love,” Metric demonstrate that they are much more than a one-time showstopper: they may be the best rock band working today. Fantasies is the proof. [Scott Elingburg]

Metric is (still) like a newly discovered creature; we don’t quite know for sure what it will do if we get too close. Yesterday’s forgettable female led synth-pop acts—like Berlin – and to a lesser degree, Missing Persons — placed naughty, hottie divas in front of a bank of keyboards, which then churned out predictably frothy pop sounds disguised as alternative rock. But when Emily Haines asks, “Who would you rather be/ The Beatles or The Rolling Stones” during “Gimme Sympathy”, the question comes off smart and informed, like typical dialog from the film High Fidelity. So if nothing else, Fantasies is every record store geek’s ultimate fantasy. [Dan MacIntosh]

Of all Broken Social Scene related projects, Metric is the one most deserving its due. Although not necessarily a departure, the half-step taken on Fantasies is one large enough to push them into a greater, airier sound. Revolving around Emily Haines, who is equal parts seductive pout, restless growl and vulnerable soprano, the combination of pop melodies and new wave dreams on Fantasies makes Metric not just great, but refreshingly relevant in a churning sea of synth users and ’80s imitators. [Natalie David]

Tagged as: Internal Debate

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