Fantasies

Metric | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 14, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Metric Music International
• ASIN: B001SZ29NC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,727 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #22 in Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave & Post-Punk > New Wave
  • #51 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > General
  • #92 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Indie Rock

Editorial Reviews

Metric is a four piece band formed in NYC that has been based at various times in Toronto, Montreal, LA, and
London. Their fourth full length studio
album FANTASIES is a much anticipated
follow up to 2005's highly acclaimed LIVE IT OUT. FANTASIES was written by the band in a farmhouse outside Seattle, and by frontwoman Emily
Haines in exile in Argentina. The album was recorded at guitarist Jimmy Shaw's own Giant Studio in Toronto and mixed at Electric Lady in NYC by Grammy winner John O'Mahony (Coldplay, The Strokes). A densely textured modern mix of psychedlia, electro and rock, this album s dream like quality stays true to the band s aesthetic while venturing into more accessible musical territory. On standout track ''Gimme Sympathy'', when sharp-tongued Haines invokes the age-old existential dilemma - ''Who would you rather be: The Beatles or The Rolling Stones'' - it s because she already knows her answer: neither.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant surprise. July 16, 2009

By Admiral Dave

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm something of a musical gambler. If I hear a single on the radio that I like, I'll go ahead and get the whole album without previewing it. Often it turns out I only ever like the original single that hooked me, and sometimes there are one or two other good entries amid the rest of the list. Metric's "Fantasies" has turned out to be one of those rare gems that I thoroughly enjoy all the way through. In fact there are two or three tracks I think are better than the single that grabbed my attention ("Help, I'm Alive"). I highly recommend "Gimme Sympathy," "Twilight Galaxy," and "Blindness." The album ranges from mellow rock to slightly edgy, never harsh. Perfect for a quiet morning or lonely drive home.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Pleasure June 20, 2009

By Jay Young

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I first heard of Metric on the podcast "Sound Opinions." The two gentlemen on the show, Jim and Greg, both gave Metric's newest album a "Buy It" rating on their "Buy it, Burn it, Trash it" scale. I liked the excerpts I heard, so I decided to download it, and I'm very glad I did. Metric has a wonderful Indie/New Wave sound that is a delight for fans of the genre. And if you're relatively unfamiliar with popular music and/or don't think you like it, I would recommend starting with Metric's "Fantasies," since it's so melodic and energetic, and will make for a good jumping-off point to explore other music of that type.

Lead singer Emily Haines and guitarist Jim Shaw are both probably best known for the cult favorite Broken Social Scene. But they both really shine in "Fantasies," which has electro-pop energy and an excellent vibe. The standout track is clearly "Gimme Sympathy." In it, Haines asks, "Who would you rather be? The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?" The implied answer is neither- the point is to get out of the need to ask yourself that kind of question. All of the songs seem to be about living outside the prescribed margins, so to speak. Haines' songwriting and singing skills and the rest of the band's musical energy combine to make this an excellent album.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Metric Makes Us Move April 22, 2009

By S.G.R. Black

Format:Audio CD

"We're so close to something better left unknown," a line from the obvious standout track, 'Gimme Sympathy,' is probably the best way to describe Metric's lastest outing, 'Fantasies,' an album that just teeters on the brink of a breakout or breakthrough album.

Being an avid and adoring fan of 'Live it Out,' I knew I wasn't going to hear anything like it, though it would have been nice and welcoming. Still, I am pleasantly surprised and fully satisfied with 'Fantasies.' There is plenty to love, I assure you. From the BIG guitars of 'Satellite Mind' and 'Sick Muse' to the new-wave coolness of 'Gimme Sympathy' to the sister track of 'The Police and the Private' (one of my favorite songs from 'Live it Out'), 'Collect Call', in which Emily pleas, "If somebody's got soul, you've got to make them move." Other great tracks include the energetic 'Gold Gun Girls' and 'Blindness' with its climactic anthemic ending that easily puts 'Fantasies' as one of the best releases this year!

I would greatly beg to differ in calling this album "a let down," because it simply isn't. Metric is progressing. The music is tighter and the lryics are more cohesive. 'Fantasies' is quite the logical step Metric was destined to take. It's an incredibly strong album from an excitingly killer band!
****1/2

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I Have A Fantasy: Me + Emily Haines November 23, 2009

By Flap Jackson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Hailing from the same music scene in Toronto that produced artists such as Feist (And the supergroup Broken Social Scene, which they were a part of), Emily Haines and her group Metric have been trekking through the globe for the past ten years, becoming a darling of the Toronto music and indie scene in the process. With "Fantasies" however, the group seems to be moving towards the ever-more creative Alternative Rock genre. The result is "Fantasies." Will it be another stuffy indie/hipster album, or has Metric finally carved a true place on the rock of creative genius?

Highlights Include:
Help I'm Alive
Sick Muse
Gold, Guns, Girls
Stadium Love

The highlight is without a doubt the song that gave a true voice to the album, "Help, I'm Alive." Despite it's rather dark title, the song comes storming out of the gate with some killer chords, the song proceeds to build itself up, deconstruct itself, then build itself until it eventually explodes in a flurry of Alternative Rock glory. "My heart keeps beating like a hammer. Beating like a hammer! BEATING LIKE A HAMMER!" If that isn't what one of the top songs of 2009, I don't know what is. It has has so many layers, yet it is so simple. And it's all capped off with pitch-perfect vocals. It could use a bit of screaming towards the end, but hey, that's just me.

The album works best when listened to as one product, and few songs can quite make the jump to radio single status. In fact, when I first got the album, I was skeptical of it since I felt that a few of the songs didn't quite work. But put in its context of the rest of the album, they all work just fine. Another thing that surprised me was the great lyrical work, and it plays perfectly in the atmospheric war that's going on within the album.... At times, there's a dark sense of foreboding, but in the same song, there's unabashed optimism. It's this musical mix of light and dark that really makes the album.

In fact, if there was a criticism I could lob at the album, it would be fact that some songs carry on sort of needlessly. As a result, some of the songs, even the good ones, feel a lot longer than they actually are.

Overall, if you were a fan of 'Help I'm Alive,' then you should enjoy the album on the whole. If you're a fan of indie rock or alt rock, you're bound to find something you like as well. Metric really brings their A-game with this album, and to my surprise, it's quite good. One of the best of the year thus far? It's certainly in the discussion...

Note: If you got the bonus tracks, then you'd have gotten 'Waves,' a rather upbeat tune that really fits with the rest of the album, and boasts a rather energetic chorus. You'll also get 'Gimme Sympathy,' which is translated very well to acoustic form, and 'Help I'm Alive,' which is less successful in its toned down form. Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Metric continues to get better June 5, 2009

By S. Reddy

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been listening to Metric for a few years. My first exposure to their infectious and mildly social conscious rock was at one of their shows. Then I happened to take a trip to Toronto where I purchased two of their albums. I instantly loved the melodies and messages. This latest album also does not disappoint. Listen to "Sick Muse" and "Satellite Mind"--a couple of my favorite. Actually, start from the beginning and don't stop because the set has such a good flow.