I wasn't a big fan of Metric's first release, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? on my initial listens. A friend of mine went away to Finland for a few months and came back with a new appreciation for dance-pop; when he picked up Old World Underground... and said it reminded him of Finland in some ways I was snootily unimpressed. Metric could have been the Cardigans, for all I cared. I approached the genre later, mostly by way of the dance-beat-driven groove rock of bands like The Music and The Jimmy Swift Band. Finally, a good year or so after first hearing Metric, I caved in and picked up Old World Undergroud.

I liked it right from the opening couplet:
Old world underground, where are you now?
Subtract my age from the mileage on my speeding heart credit cards

Emily Haines does have a way with words, and can write catchy lines when she sets her mind to it. This holds true on Live It Out which by its release in late 2005 I'd been waiting to hear for roughly half a year.

Unfortunately, Live It Out takes a couple of steps back for its step forward. As much as I like gritty guitars, in a band as musically upbeat as Metric they do sound somewhat incongruous at times. The notable exception is the "I fought the war, I fought the war and the war won't stop for the love of God" refrain in Monster Hospital, where the guitar texture is completely appropriate. However, Metric in general is a lot more about synths than guitars, and if they were trying to reinvent themselves this time around then the effort has fallen flat on its face.

That's not to say that Live It Out is a bad record. I still listen to it from time to time and I enjoy it, but if it weren't for the production values you'd think this was their first album and Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? was their second. If you're looking to get to know Metric, their first album is still the place to start.

The Record: Live It Out (Metric), 2005
One-line verdict: Decent.
Standount Tracks: Poster of a Girl, Monster Hospital, Live It Out