Customer Reviews

Live It Out

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Emily Haines is one lady who knows how make things come alive. She's the best part of Broken Social Scene, "Swimmers" was the best track on their latest, and she leads Metric, whose "Live It Out" has lead me to remember how Rock music used to . . . well ROCK!
I first heard "Glass Ceiling" and first off I thought the guitars were awesome. It sounds so rich and deep and the drums beats down hard and loud. "Handshakes and Monster Hospital" are infectious rock goodies that will have you repeating "buy this car to drive to work/ drive to work to pay for this car" and "I fought the war but the war won!" One of my favorites is "The Police and The Private" which is a gorgeous helping of sleekness and awe. There are other great songs that are riddled with spooky and dream-like keyboard playing that if you close your eyes you might just see "Live It Out" the movie playing in your head. Cool? Hell yeah! Thought provoking? Sure! It's nice to know that although Emily fought the war and lost, she's still alive.

This is one of the best albums this year. With Emily Haines consistently sounding like Naomi Watts looks (compelling, wistful, with just an trace of trash around the edges), and enough sparse yet potent 80s-inspired guitar hooks, this Toronto band hangs with the best.

It's a good move away from the more electronic based previous album to this, a more guitar-based effort. The first song starts mellow and explodes into controlled noise and the album never looks back. With a striking indie sound that echoes the harder-edged 80s sounds of such groups as Romeo Void and even a touch of the Pretenders, Metric is carving out a strong presence.

If they don't fall under the Canadian stigma of working too hard to be commercial after early cult success, their next album will be even better.

There's no weak cuts and the song Poster of a Girl, which clearly strikes at commercial success the hardest, while being a great song, might be the only suspect song here. But while the song works way too hard at being clever, its still a great song in its own right.

Any fan of 80s inspired Indie rock should own this one.

Just walked in from metric destroying webster hall march 06 and all I can say is wow! live, they aim for the fences, playing their small theatre show for an arena-sized audience. i am reminded of the first times i saw phish in my college town of ithaca ny, the sense of witnessing the birth of a phenomenon. That is not to equate this music with any sort of jam band tradition or convention. Metric blend the sound of new wave, dance punk and angular art rock into a new genre onto themselves. They play "Metric"-style. The slow songs kill; are beautiful, swaying. hypnotic. The frenzied songs find a manic intensity in front of a crowd and Emily Haines rides the line between playing the song and playing the room masterfully. Not once did I think that she or the band was willing to forgo the aesthetics of their delectably layered songs for the sake of an empty crowd-arousal gimmick, yet the band always seemed intensely connected to the audience. The 14+ minute breakdown of Dead Disco they did tonight was a masterwork of abstract anti-matter. If you're not already fully on board the metric bus, run to see them live as soon as you can. That is a command. If you already are, then maybe consider selling some earthly possessions and going on "tour". Yeah. It's that good.

The everchanging "Empty" revs the voice of the lead singer, straight from Broken Social Scene - while we prepare for an album exciting and compleate. I am married to "Monster Hospital" and "Glass Cieling" is a sure mistress, but the other songs provide such good noise pollution - and yes, that voice is wonderful and strong - that I don't care about the blunt lyrics. Dancy, strange and suburbia-fearin', the latest of Metric is a shattering album.

Metric's new album Live It Out is different from their last album. In a good way. Their sound is better. Less high-singing Emily and more flipping out parts, more guitars, more rock. There are times when you want to just get on your feet and jump and spaz out and dance. Metric has definitely brought it to another level in this album. To be perfectly honest if you asked what were some of my favourite songs I would name off basically the whole CD. If you lived their last album I think you will like this one even more (as I did). Also, if you get a chance to see Metric live (they are on tour right now) then DO SO. They are amazing. Emily Haines is beautiful. Their new album gets 5++++ stars.

I couldn't be more pleased with Metric's latest album. This album is a bit different (from Old World Underground) in terms of artistic expression, but equally great in ejoyability/ replay value. "Live It Out" will definitely be a candidate for indie album of the year.

It's always nice when you latch onto a band like Metric or Stars. They make memorable, hard rocking music without feeling a sense of generic-isms; a band that just sounds way too polished for its own good that radio will adore but it leaves your brain just as quickly. With their 3rd release (1st album was re-released recently...too many re's there), the band just keeps getting better and able to blend their new-age influences and rocking rhythms rather than one overpowering the other.

Empty: Starts out nice and slow before heavy guitars kick in and it just becomes a very groove-based track that's great to headbang too (it's fun to do vocalist Emily Haines' head movements which go sideways rather than vertically). 9.5/10

Glass Ceiling: One of the more enjoyable tracks on the album with a catchy main riff and the chorus being a nice quick sing-along. It just sounds like a fun track to listen to and tap your foot to. Only problem is it's slightly repetitive. 8/10

Handshakes: Even though there's a lot of elements to like about this one such as the fast-paced main riff, it doesn't really take off. Not that it's a bad track and you probably wouldn't skip over it but aside from a few things, it's hard to keep it in your head. 7/10

Too Little Too Late: After a long guitar riff, we get into a mid-tempo number with Emily's sexy vocals harmonizing with each other before it goes into a beautiful chorus which is mainly thanks to the guitar line underneath. Not really a pop hit but it's just a very enjoyable track to listen to. 8.5/10

Poster of a Girl: Some songs are just way too catchy for their own good. Everything from its ungodly catchy synth line to the guitar line played before it to Emily's sexy-as-hell repeating of the song's lyrics in French, it's an obvious highlight. 9.5/10

Monster Hospital: Very indie rock and loud and full of energy with a Clash-inspired chorus yet...I don't like it that much. Strange huh? It doesn't do anything wrong really and many love it and it was obviously a single but it's one of those songs where you're the odd man out. 7/10

Patriarch on a Vespa: Great beat although like Handshakes, it might be one of those tracks you like but probably won't go back to much. It's got its heavy guitars, Emily's vocals and good rhythm bass/drums-wise. Chorus and its noise solo saves it. Come to think of it: I like the song. 7.5/10

The Police and the Private: More catchy synth arpeggios and great interplay between it and the guitar. It's a great example of them building a kind of atmosphere without going completely nutso a la Empty or Monster Hospital. Album standout. 9/10

Ending Start: Kind of a weird song. Piano-based at its start with Emily harmonizing with a weird male voice with swirls going around all over the place. It's a nice sounding if off-kilter track but it's kind of missing a memorable hook to rope you in. 7/10

Live it Out: I love Emily's vocals at the start and when you think it'll be another ambience piece, it kicks up and rocks hard. Might not be a catchy sing along song but its rhythmic beat sets it apart and maybe not an ideal closer, it's certainly a good rocker. 8/10

It's too bad female fronted bands tend to be known more for its vocalist than anything. Everyone knows Emily just as everyone knows Amy Millan from Stars or Hayley Williams for Paramore but the band here does a great job at being a band and luckily, they come up with great records like this one.

Following in the wake of such masterpieces as "Luke's Tears" by Luke's Hand, and the "Final Conflict" by Bear vs. Shark, comes this surprisingly fresh effort from post modernist freak revivalists Metric. From the fragile strains of "Glass Ceiling" to the art-rock sensibilities of "Poster of a Girl", the entire album is woven together by a dichotomy of person and self. "Handshakes" seemingly innovative use of synthesizer is actually a tip of the hat to such seemingly disparate bands as "Joy Divison", "New Order" and "Electronic", which should be clear to those with a big enough musical belt-buckle. "Patriarch on a Vespa"'s subsonic rumbles, crunching riffs and driving rhythm reminiscent of the Bolivian jungle are acid tinged in the tradition of Black Sabbath while simultaneously managing to evoke echoes of Duke Ellington. Of interest to those who are technically inclined, the album defining solo of "Live It Out" features spectacular fretwork and the esoteric yet cohesive progression delivers a skull crushingly heavy sledgehammer blow to the eardrums. Simply sublime. Five stars.

It took 20 years or so to resurface, but here you'll find a wonderful New Wave rock n roll sound that is very refreshing. The guitars, drums and vocals are all crisp and leave their mark independently of each other. I saw Metric open for the Stones at Madison Square Garden and liked them immediately. The album did not disappoint.

A friend introduced me to Metric and after hearing this album, I have fallen in love with them. Emily Haines is one of the most amazing women of the 21st century. She adds vigor, uniqueness, and spark to all of the music and songs. When you listen to the first song, you have to listen to the second. When you listen to the second, you have to listen to the third. Some albums give you the feeling as if you have to skip over songs because they're either boring or something that isn't to your liking. Not with Metric! Every single song is amazing. I'm always in the mood to listen to metric, especially when i'm down, because it just gets you feeling like you did something right and that you're not the only person on this earth that feels like they're dying right now. Emily's with you.