Metric - Synthetica

Having predicted within a comment about the first single from Metric's Synthetica (track two, ‘Youth Without Youth’) that there would no doubt be better to come from the album as a whole, it’s pleasing to find oneself generally correct in that regard. Indeed, in the company of its fellows, the single sounds very much at home with the lead in that opener ‘Artificial Nocturne’ provides for it.

‘Speed The Collapse’, with its shimmering guitar sound and ah-ah-ah-ahs, is the early highlight of the work. Heralding the mistakes of not paying attention to environmental decline rarely sounds so good. ‘Dreams So Real’, coming in as track number five promises a great deal but unfortunately turns out not to be a long, slow burning intro to an epic song, just a seemingly good idea that fizzles out at the point at which you expect it to ignite. ‘Lost Kitten’ too, given the soppy title, continues the weak run in the middle of the album but, unlike its predecessor, is redeemed by its brevity.

Things pick back up on ‘The Void’, although it still lacks the sort of weight that the best of the band’s output requires to lift it above that of their contemporaries (this is no ‘Help I’m Alive’ or ‘Gimme Sympathy’). The title track arrives at number eight and thankfully rocks along with a pleasing driving beat. ‘The Wanderlust’ grabs the attention with its duelling vocals towards the end (the male part being a guest performance from Lou Reed) but by the time final song ‘Nothing But Time’ rolls around the initial energy from the record’s start has mostly dissipated, leaving you with a feeling of quality work that yet will not see the band become a household name this year.