2008 Woodie Awards
Mirrors on the Ceiling: Metric bring the rock across the border
Jessica Lucero
Issue date: 2/17/05 Section: Entertainment
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02/17/05 - Don't hold their name against them. While it may expose their Canadian origins, Metric's songs reach the populace.
Made up of vocalist and keyboardist Emily Haines and guitarist James Shaw, Metric mixes old school rock charm with a new school take on the world.
Emily Haines' sometimes breathy, always matter-of-fact voice struts and pouts its way through the intertwined chords and mod-retro timing on both Metric's albums.
Her tender, crooning voice surprises listeners, blending new wave and post punk effortlessly behind driving synth beats. A patchwork of experiences is easily fused together by her vocals and imposes the stamp of strong emotional ties that only a feminine touch can offer.
In stark contrast from the indie/emo introspective onslaught of bands, Metric offers a removed and accurate view of everyday life. Like a Norman Rockwell painting, they relate a millisecond of life, freeze framed and immortalized in every song.
Haines says, "It's strange to think a lot of new music is modeled on the past already, and then people are modeling themselves on people who model themselves on the past. I do think we're in a recycling era; everything's so retro. People should recycle more plastic and less culture."
Songs like "IOU" address the facelessness of war with lyrics like "Every 10 year old enemy soldier/Thinks falling bombs are shooting stars sometimes/But she doesn't make wishes on them."
Haines further explores the topic of war in "Succexy." "War as we knew it was obsolete/Nothing could beat complete denial/ All we do is talk, sit, switch screens as the homeland plans enemies/... invasion so succexy...Let's drink to the military/ The glass is empty/Faces to fill and cars to feed/Nothing could beat complete denial."
Whether dealing with random issues of the day or major issues of our times, Metric imparts an original sound, reinventing an old genre.
Like Keane, the Zutons and countless other Canadian bands, we must look past their nationality and see the inner rock.
Made up of vocalist and keyboardist Emily Haines and guitarist James Shaw, Metric mixes old school rock charm with a new school take on the world.
Emily Haines' sometimes breathy, always matter-of-fact voice struts and pouts its way through the intertwined chords and mod-retro timing on both Metric's albums.
Her tender, crooning voice surprises listeners, blending new wave and post punk effortlessly behind driving synth beats. A patchwork of experiences is easily fused together by her vocals and imposes the stamp of strong emotional ties that only a feminine touch can offer.
In stark contrast from the indie/emo introspective onslaught of bands, Metric offers a removed and accurate view of everyday life. Like a Norman Rockwell painting, they relate a millisecond of life, freeze framed and immortalized in every song.
Haines says, "It's strange to think a lot of new music is modeled on the past already, and then people are modeling themselves on people who model themselves on the past. I do think we're in a recycling era; everything's so retro. People should recycle more plastic and less culture."
Songs like "IOU" address the facelessness of war with lyrics like "Every 10 year old enemy soldier/Thinks falling bombs are shooting stars sometimes/But she doesn't make wishes on them."
Haines further explores the topic of war in "Succexy." "War as we knew it was obsolete/Nothing could beat complete denial/ All we do is talk, sit, switch screens as the homeland plans enemies/... invasion so succexy...Let's drink to the military/ The glass is empty/Faces to fill and cars to feed/Nothing could beat complete denial."
Whether dealing with random issues of the day or major issues of our times, Metric imparts an original sound, reinventing an old genre.
Like Keane, the Zutons and countless other Canadian bands, we must look past their nationality and see the inner rock.