Well, for an intro, “Dark Saturday” actually threw me off quite a bit. This is heavy man, it’s just so crunchy and beefy. Not to mention, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Metric rolling with such a determined sound, which goes on all fronts. Especially for Emily Haines, who sounds downright fiery and brilliant. This is all just so simple, almost blatantly obvious. But it’s little details, like how much more aggressive and dark this is that make this one come together. Also, when did Metric start writing such catchy material? And start using such heavy guitars? This is seriously infectious and heavy, and all around is a seriously great track. Then we have “Love You Back” which has a lot of the same elements of the first track, but with maybe a little more mystery. Emily has never sounded so dynamic. For years, to me, she’s blended into a sea of her contemporaries. But here, she comes off like a damn rock star who’s giving some of the best performances of her career. This also continues to be a seriously guitar-driven album, which was probably the last thing I expected to hear. This is just another really straightforward and enjoyable Pop tune. “Die Happy” rolls on with this very blackened, dark Disco sound, which is something I personally think we need more of these days. Emily’s performance once again is seriously out of her wheelhouse, occasionally almost coming off like Fever Ray. But everything else about this track is a very sleek blend of nocturnal Synth Pop and muscular Guitar Rock. Which, no, I don’t think any of us were actually expecting. But little about this album I’ve been able to put my finger on so far, especially with how dark and grizzly these lyrics. My only complaint so far is that I really wish Metric dished this out like 8 years ago. On the other hand, “Now or Never Now” is much timider at first, taking a few more moments to really get going. But in a weird way, this comes off like some twisted alter ego of LCD Soundsystem. The synths are playful, but still have a coldness to them deep down. It’s very retro, but at the same time massively current. It’s icy, but it’s got that killer groove and some seriously steamy bars that I can’t get enough of. Not to mention, this one practically has a progressive feel to it. This isn’t your meat and potatoes SynthPop tune, this actually has some really forward thinking sounds and none of them stay put.
On the other hand, “Art of Doubt” takes a slightly different approach. This one is much less Synth-driven, outside of a few mysterious keyboards lingering. And yea, it brings in some tension which is good. But here, I worry that for a few short minutes, Metric have reverted to their more faceless side. However, I will give them this, they pull through with a wildly anthemic and roaring chorus once again, Emily sounds pretty incredible. I really wish they did this sound like 8 years ago because I feel like this could get even better with time. But still, it’s great to hear them let loose. But it’s when Metric sticks to these pretty straightforward and incredibly youthful Synth Pop tunes that work the best, like “Underline the Black”. Honestly, I feel like this is an entirely different entity completely. Instrumentally, there aren’t as many awkward kinks or bland moments, and lyrically this isn’t as goofy. This is just another triumphant and well-written SynthPop tune. Now, while this one is a step back in the right direction, I wish there were a few more Synths on this track. But still, I can’t complain too much. “Dressed to Suppress” however, instantly is so much more futuristic and grim sounding. It’s the modern Synth-Pop sound for sure, but with a bigger atmosphere so everything isn’t as cold. Not to mention, the very heavenly, sweet vocals actually add so much to this and make it a whole lot more human. Emily here sounds like a damn superstar and has such a sass to her performance here that I can’t help but eat it up. When things really get going here they pop hard, and it continues to be genuinely determined and confident, which are things I’ve never said about Metric in all their years. Plus, tracks like this are just so freakin’ epic, cheers to this man. “Risk” is a little more upbeat, which we honestly haven’t gotten too many tracks like this here. It brings in a lot of the new wave elements that Metric used to play with. But here, it comes off so much more confident. It’s groovy and sweet and filled with some serious attitude. I mean, I would like to hear some more synths, but the chorus does make up for that just a little. But if these are my only complaints, life is good for Metric right now.
Moments like “Seven Rules” however, go one step further for me. For a moment, Metric really do find the perfect balance between Rock and Synth Pop, in a surprisingly dreary ballad form. I feel like with so many artists, this would be so cheesy and ridiculously corny. But this one ends up being one of the most powerful and epic ballads I’ve heard all year. It’s beautiful, and Emily once again comes off so charismatic. It ends up giving this a very human feel. And while I do wish there were maybe a few more synths here and there, the atmosphere on this one is stunning. “Holding Out” however, is a mixed bag. Instrumentally, this is an even better balance of Rock and Synth Pop. I love the hypnotic riff and the very synthetic atmosphere. But as this one rolls on, it does begin to lessen on me. Here, Metric may have this instrumentally down to a science. But as far as the vocals go, this is incredibly tame, especially in a sea of very charismatic performances. Not only that, this is just so sappy, and the exact opposite of everything I’ve loved so far. “Anticipate” I sort of feel the same way about. This is the Synth-driven track I thought I needed right about now. It’s very chilly, and it has that Disco vibe we heard earlier. But I just feel like this one could have packed so much more of a punch. The grand piano arpeggios are beautiful, and this is tuneful and all. But this could have used so much more of a groove. Sadly, Metric completely derail with “No Lights on the Horizon”. What the hell happened to these very punchy dancefloor numbers? In its place, we’ve just gotten a bunch of dreary ballads, which at a small number would be totally fine. But to say that this track is anything else than average would be lying. Emily sounds so less sure of herself, and the minimal beat is cool at first but gets old very quickly. Sure, there are some sweet lyrics here, but I needed more for an ending.
Rating: 7.9/10
Give A Listen To: “Dark Saturday”, “Die Happy”, “Dressed to Suppress”, “Seven Rules”
Least Favorite Track: “Holding Out”
Genre: Synth Pop / New Wave / Alternative Rock
Overall Thoughts: Metric on “Art Of Doubt” for the first time since their inception really shut me up for a few minutes. After years of being so faceless and bland, they’ve finally come through with a set of punchy anthems that blend Synth Pop and Alternative Rock wonderfully. There are some disco vibes and a surprising amount of determined guitar riffs, and shoutouts to Emily Haines for coming off like a damn rock star. Sadly, this album does derail towards the end, with Metric reverting to their bland, stale-on-delivery Synth Pop sound. But outside of that, the only complaint I have is that I wish this happened sooner for them.
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