Best Of 2012: #14

#14 - Metric - Synthetica

I got into Metric with their previous album Fantasies; and then proceeded to work backwards through their older stuff, and found nothing that took my fancy - so hoped that their fifth album (this one) would provide some more gems. And happily, it did. Taking a far more electronic direction for this album, as maybe the title would suggest, the band pours all their experience, and the ability of their main songwriter and singer Emily Haines, into the pot to create several fantastic pieces of music. From the straight-to-the-point opening line of Artificial Nocturne - 'I'm just as fucked up as they say' - through to the bouncy first single Youth Without Youth, and onwards, speeding, twisting and turning towards the epic soundscape of closer Nothing But Time, the album never really lets up. The other highlights include Lost Kitten, with its slight seductive charm (or maybe just annoying for some people) or the title track, which is probably the rockiest song on the album. But overall, an improvement on Fantasies, and hopefully I will stay with Metric from here on out!

RECOMMEND: Artifical Nocturne, Lost Kitten, Synthetica
LOW POINTS: The Void, Clone

Hear Synthetica Now

You can hear Metric's fifth album, Synthetica, in full, now. The band are streaming it on their Soundcloud page, right here. The album is due for full release in the UK on the 18th June (12th June in the USA)

Metric - Synthetica

Artwork


Tracklist
01. Artificial Nocturne
02. Youth Without Youth
03. Speed The Collapse
04. Breathing Underwater
05. Dreams So Real
06. Lost Kitten
07. The Void
08. Synthetica
09. Clone
10. The Wanderlust
11. Nothing But Time

The album will be released June 18th in the UK (the US gets it on the 12th) and will be preceded by a single, Youth Without Youth, on May 1st.

Metric Announce New Single

Metric have announced that the first single from their upcoming fifth album Synthetica will be called "Youth Without Youth" and will be released on May 8th. The album will follow on June 18th - no other details are known at this point in time.

Metric Announce Fifth Album

Metric have announced that their fifth studio album is entitled Synthetica and will be released on 18th June. No other details are known yet, but are expected to come to light soon.

Best Of 2009 - #15 - #11

Jack Peñate - Everything Is New
7/10

His debut was one of my least favourite albums of 2007, but this new album is a welcome change in direction. It sounds great; I like all the songs bar Give Yourself Away, but songs such as Be The One and Tonight's Today are very good indeed.

The Twang - Jewellery Quarter
7/10
Original review here.

Metric - Fantasies
7/10
I discovered this album quite recently, even though it was released in spring. From the moment I heard the opener, Help I'm Alive, I knew I was going to like this. I was very happy to prove myself right. Sick Muse and Gimme Sympathy are perhaps the best on the album, but every song is good. The closer, Stadium Love, is also another favourite, along with Gold Guns Girls.

The View - Which Bitch?
8/10
Original review here.

Enter Shikari - Common Dreads
8/10
Original review here.