Despite stadium-ready hooks, polished vocals and slick guitars, Fantasies isn’t a selling out moment for Metric so much as the next step in a logical progression. After a punky debut and slower, synthesizer-driven follow up, their latest combines the energy of the former with the focus and confidence of the latter.
Opener “Help, I’m Alive” is the first of many opportunities for singer Emily Haines to shift back and forth between sultry and spunky. The rhythm section is on point throughout, especially on “Gimme Sympathy,” which should be a hit on the summer festival circuit.
The album stumbles when the band slows down, giving us breathers we don’t need in “Collect Call” and “Twilight Galaxy.” They’re pleasant enough, but they’re also the kinds of dreamy, synthy ballads that would work better alongside Haines’s solo work.
