Photo Credit — Phillyist.com
Metric released its new album Fantasies on March 14th after four years of hiatus since their successful Live It Out. According to PrefixMag.com, vocalist Emily Haines opted for more “genuine” and “simple” lyrics, while guitarist Jimmy Shaw described the album as having “very big” and “very dreamy” sounds. Although the album has its down, the overall quality stays true to the artists’ descriptions, deviating from the zesty and childlike spunk from Live It Out while staying loyal to the band’s hypnotic style.
Particularly mind-blowing are Satellite Mind, Help I’m Alive, and Gold Gun Girls–although somewhat disturbing (If I stumble, they’re gonna eat me alive//can you hear my heart beating like a hammer//hard to be soft, tough to be tender), their lyrics are catchy yet mesmerizing as they merge into a repetition like a haunting echo from a euphony of chaotic sounds. The mellow guitar riffs escalade into tragic crescendos, which later fall back again to nonchalant beats that leave the listener in a trance. Less efficacious are Sick Muse and Collect Call, which both lack a magical hook evident in the other songs, thus easily deteriorating into a bog of flatness.
Nevertheless, the album overall is more than satisfying. It is colorful and mature, deep and resounding.
Original Muse 