Metric - Art Of Doubt

Art of Doubt finds Metric plugging the guitars back in, a 2018 record where Emily Haines and company trade some of their synth gloss for genuine bite.

The Toronto band's seventh studio album followed the glossy electro-pop of Pagans in Vegas, and with producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen the band swung back toward a rawer, guitar-led sound. James Shaw's guitar sits front and centre again, often thick and fuzzed, while Haines writes with a restless, anxious edge that suits the title perfectly. It sounds like a band rediscovering how much noise four people can make in a room.

Opener "Dark Saturday" sets the tone with a driving pulse and a chorus built for big summer stages. "Dressed to Suppress" snarls and swaggers, and the title track keeps the tension wound tight from first bar to last. Further in, "Now or Never Now" stretches out into something more cinematic. The shimmering synths are still everywhere, but they serve the songs rather than smoothing them over.

Two decades into their career, Metric sounded hungrier than plenty of bands half their age. This LP is a sharp reminder of why they remain a cornerstone of Canadian indie rock, with hooks and attitude in equal measure, and it rewards a proper play at volume.