Synthetica

Music in the Metric style

Once classified as indie-rock dominators, Canadian ensemble Metric is currently doing something that is hard to refer to any of the present genre descriptions. In cases like that critics often resort to words like combination, fusion or synthesis, but calling Metric music just a mix of complex electronica with sophisticated rock would be an underestimation. You can nod and act like you know what it is like, but if you really want to understand what these people play you have nothing but to listen to them. Yes, first you have to, then you want to. And in the end you are not able to part with an album. Any of the five, including the fresh one, Synthetica (2012), which is of biggest interest to us. The record was released three years after the very successful (could it be otherwise?) Fantasies, and the vocalist says this is the recap if everything the musicians have been doing since the start. Indeed, after developing a winning strategy on the previous records, Metric have decided to use it as it is to produce a flawless piece polishing their craftsmanship.

So many sides to electronic music

Unavoidable comparisons of Synthetica with Fantasies expose a somewhat different approach to working with synths. The musicians tried to reach a maximum complex sound, which impacted the general atmosphere. Metric have always been known for the vivid contrast between itchy socially colored or deeply personal lyrics and rather lively musical content based on post-punk guitars and dance electronic. Yet here the contrast sometimes gets to a limit. The album opener, Artificial Nocturne, has a text with rude words – that is how down the main character is, but the music is the classic Metric, upbeat dance pop rock with rich arrangements. On the whole, though, the music got slow and thick, which looks like a result of hard work with synths. This background is no good for catchy melodies and explosive choruses, and you do not have many of them on the album. What sounds like a real summer and shining anthem is Breathing Underwater, and that is it. On the other side there are powerful Speed The Collapse, and Youth Wihtout Youth. Depressive lyrics and apocalyptic beats do produce a feeling of the approaching end of days, and such Metric are something new.

Album for their own fun

Synthetica has quite an original ending. First comes lulling Clone with monotonous rhythms. It is followed by The Wanderlust with the famous fabulist and narrator Lou Reed as a guest singer, and slight touch of blues. When the listener is close to falling asleep rings an awakening call in shape of Nothing But Time с with quite an amusing tune, one of rare kind for this album. Throughout the entire record there is a strong sensation that Metric are not trying to indulge the audience, but rather playing for their own fun and trying out combinations and variants. This sincerity gives the record extra points, because the quality of the material lies beyond the realm of doubt. Synthetica is a most real Metric album because here the band plays the way the musicians want to, and there are no efforts made to change anything or adjust to anything. The new long player is a perfect development to the Canadian ensemble’s discography, a in-depth review of a long period. But you rest assured it is going to be more interesting.