Synthetica reminds me that I should really listen to Metric more often. Though I own this LP and a burned CD of 2003’s Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?, I somehow forget how much I enjoy them.
I won Synthetica through a Mom+Pop Records giveaway, the same time I won Sleigh Bells’ Reign of Terror. The cover reminds me of arty ’70s albums — like maybe something Pink Floyd would do. Luckily, they sound nothing like Pink Floyd (Sorry, PF lovers; I remain largely indifferent to them), and the album opens with a great line:
I’m just as fucked up as they say…
Though the band is Canadian, Emily Haines’ voice reminds me a bit of the female-led British bands of the ’90s, and the music itself ranges from atmospheric to dance-y to a sound venturing into rock territory. “Breathing Underwater” reminds me of Nina Gordon’s solo work, but better:
They were right when they said
we were breathing underwater
Out of place all the time
in a world that wasn’t mine
to take … I’ll wait
With the lyrics printed backwards on the liner notes, Synthetica is steeped in alienation, loneliness, and desire. Though I still need to give the album more thorough listening, one of my immediate favorites is the title track — a La Roux-esque song that’s a cry against conformity, but it could also double as a straight-edge anthem, if one were so inclined.
We were never meant
crawl in for the bait
we never will
I an think for myself
I’ve got something
no pill could ever kill
If I remember correctly, from previous discussions in these unicorn-wallpapered halls, we’ve got a few Metric fans lurking about. What did you think of 2012’s Synthetica? How does it compare to their other releases? I have some catching up to do.
Side A
Artificial Nocturne
Youth Without Youth
Speed the Collapse
Breathing Underwater
Dreams So Real
Side B
Lost Kitten
The Void
Synthetica
Clone
The Wanderlust
Nothing But Time
