u/Repulsive_Chard_3652

The new album release motivated me to do something I've never done before: listen through all their albums chronologically.

I've just started Fantasies, and honestly the change in sound is SO DRASTIC holy shit! Honestly, it's much more of a dramatic shift than between synthetica and pagans, which was not a super well-received by the fan base!

So, I'm curious how the fans who were already into the band during the live it out era felt when they first heard fantasies! Did people feel the band was selling out? Did they like the change?

Obviously fantasies was the album that put them on the map - it was my introduction to the band, as well. But it sure does sound a lot more polished and "pop"ped than the first three!

I know there are a million posts about this topic, but I just need to get it out somewhere! ;) My opinions may be "controversial", but I welcome discourse :D

For me, Romanticize the Dive is a welcome return after the rather disappointing Formentera II.

Pagans/Art of Doubt/Formentera are my favourite Metric albums (not a popular opinion, I know :D) and Formentera II was a bit of a letdown after that streak...

But I am really loving this new one. It has Fantasies vibes throughout, and I also hear some Synthetica, Pagans, and Art of Doubt at times - and it does carry over some of the dreampop of F2, but F2 was too far of a derivation and this feels a lot more just like Metric.

Idk how it will hold up over time - I'm not sure I'll come back to it as often as the three mentioned/my favourites, but it is very nice.

And the truth is, for me, Metric, has zero bad albums and zero bad songs. There's a reason they are one of my two favourite bands. I also like Formentera II, even if it's not the best ;)

I have tickets to see them in Utrecht this autumn, and I cannot wait to hear these songs live!!!

Here's my track-by-track breakdown (music/vibes only - no lyrical analysis):

Victim of Luck

I didn't care much for this song when it came out. I heard it a lot on public radio and it just didn't grab me. I found it kind of boring and unoriginal. But as the opening track to the album, I'm finding I quite like it! It's cute and fun :)

Wild Rut

I didn't care much for this one on first listen, but it's growing on me. It's quite pretty, and it feels very Fantasies-esque! Just very classic Metric stuff here. Love that bass line in the verses! I also dig the drums, the synths, and the piano in this one. Musically it's one of the most interesting songs on the album :)

Time is a Bomb

Wowwwww I fucking looooove this one!!! It gives Doomscroller vibes... and some of my favourite parts of Art of Doubt... I fucking love when Metric gets dark... and I love their ability to swing between the dark and heavy to the light and fun/cute. I didn't love the shift on first listen - I wanted the song to stay in the darkness, but I'm growing to appreciate the shift! Can't help but hear the lyrics on this one, and I really like what she's doing with the "I am always up" and "I am always down" - this is a pair of expressions in English I've often thought about in regards to how interesting they are and how they can be used :) But musically, this is definitely one of my top, top songs on the album. Very memorable, totally stands out <3

Crush Forever

This is a very, very cute one. Got that dreampoppy vibe over a heavily percussive foundation... this song gives me Pagans vibes, which I consider a good thing because I love Pagans ;) Very fun, very poppy... just get lost in this one! Only criticism is I don't care much about what Emily is doing here. And that's ok - she's not the band ;) Musically the song is really good and I really enjoy it. But Emily definitely gets lost in the sea of sonic waves.

Tremolo

is super fun!!! Can't wait to dance to this one live! It's just so chill... love the rhythm, very sexy! I love Emily's voice in this lower range, too - I sometimes wish she wouldn't try to sing so high, as she can't hit those notes and needs a lot of filters and effects to make it sound good... when she sings like she does on this song, it just works a lot more naturally, and it's so beautiful. This song also feels like they worked in the dreampop but again in a way that meshes well with a classic Metric sound. This was the first song to stand out to me on first listen. It's just very, very nice.

Moral Compass

Another one like Wild Rut - didn't like it much on first listen, but it is growing on me. It is, however, probably one of the more forgettable tracks for me at this point. It's pretty and nice, definitely gives me some Synthetica vibes, I like it. But it's not a stand-out.

As if You're Here

Holy hell, this is cute and fun :) But maybe also one of the more forgettable songs for me. Maybe my least favourite song on the album, but it's still nice. They definitely never have any skips!

Loyal

Ok, so this track takes my most frustrating feelings and opinions... because the music is so good. I love that synth bass in the beginning, then the guitar riff... it's all so nice, such a beautiful tone set. But then Emily starts singing... and idk if she is singing out of her range or what is going on here, but the production is fucking atrocious. Her voice is soooo overly edited and it almost sounds robotic. I hate how her voice hates here so much and it ruins what could've been a top favourite song on the album. It's fine in the chorus, since there's a ton going on there and everything is kinda overproduced there. But the verses are almost unlistenable for me... and it's such a pity because I love this like space feeling of this song, like you're floating through space... it could be such a great song, but the production on Emily's voice is just so bad... :(

Antigravity

Yes, yes, YES!!! Another top favourite! This song goes harrrrdddd. That driving beat, Emily's voice and melody... the song has the Metric Quirk that I love so much... the synths... the verses have the Fantasies/Synthetica vibe, but then the choruses and bridge take me to Art of Doubt... which ughhhh fucking amazing! Idk this might be my favourite song on the album... I cannot fucking wait to dance to this live in the autumn!!!

Clouds to Break

This is too pretty. I used to not really get into their slow/pretty closing songs, but lately I've been starting to really appreciate them. This song is gorgeous.

Leave You on a High

This might be my favourite Metric closing track ever. This is so nice. I love the vibe so much. The chorus is just so fucking lovely. And I love that they literally are closing the album on a high <3 This is a stunning song, definitely upper half of the album.

In summary, my favourites are Antigravity, Time is a Bomb, and Tremolo. Also really love Leave You on a High, and Crush Forever. Least favourite is As if you were Here. I'm super happy with what we got on this outing and I cannot wait to see them live!

My boy just had a massive surgery yesterday on his bladder, and I woke up this morning, sat down on the couch, and realized I was sitting in his piss D: D: D:

He went for a checkup later in the morning and the vet said that it was unfortunately normal because he's in a lot of pain and very stressed after the surgery, and peeing definitely hurts him right now.

As the day progressed, I did seem to manage to lure him to a giant piss pad I got from the vet - he's been primarily hanging out there the rest of the day (awkwardly napping with the annoying cone around his head, and also pissing there on the mat), but the sofa smells absolutely atrocious.

My question is whether there is a way I'll ever get my sofa back, or if I'm going to have to get a whole new one :( Any advice?

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For anyone wondering, he's honestly doing pretty well a day after the surgery, getting used to the cone, and his appetite is HUGE, which is awesome to see. He's been getting some free time from the cone for heavily-supervised grooming, and lots of pets and love <3