Sound like: Their debut, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?, rocks like a sexy librarian: smart, sassy, and classy. On “Combat Baby” and “Dead Disco” (both of which have received radio airplay), singer/keyboardist Emily Haines’ sweetly edgy voice and slinky synths never waver, even as the songs veer from playfully danceable to elegantly eerie.
Kicking it Billy Joel-style: “Keyboards have joined the ranks of serious rock instruments,” Haines proclaims. Indeed, Metric’s slick, hip-shaking live act reveals no evidence of the pianist’s perennial dilemma: less-than-cool stage poses. Guitarist James Shaw says, “If you want to get up with a key-tar, go for it!”
As a bonus, they’ll catch your spirit if it flies away: “I had a transcendent experience in Detroit,” Haines says, describing an intense audience. “I hit some crazy high note and felt like the crowd’s souls all landed on me.”
