ROCK/ALTERNATIVE

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Metric
Live It Out
(Last Gang Records)

After the incredible success of Metric’s debut LP Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?, and a lengthy tour that spanned two years, Metric returns with their highly anticipated sophomoric release, Live It Out. As exhausting as touring an album for two years must have been, the growth and maturity they acquired, sharpening their live performance, paid off in spades when they got back into the studio. Where Old World demonstrated their unique melodies and tightness as a band, Live It Out goes much further, like an explosion. Their new songs are more complex and multi-dimensional. Guitarist Jimmy Shaw takes on the role of producer, and skillfully the band is bigger, louder and edgier. Emily Haines’ vocals and melodies are more haunting and spine-tingling than ever. Her seductive voice and poignant lyrics are personified beautifully on “Too Little, Too Late”, accompanied by Shaw’s gorgeous guitar work, spawning melancholic melodies that will haunt you for days. Metric has so much talent that with the right collaborative efforts, say remixes by Howie B, they could take the UK and Europe by storm. —AZ

Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene
(Arts & Crafts Productions)
Like watching a small, seemingly insignificant bud blossom into a rich, vibrant and complex flower, Broken Social Scene’s latest studio album has to be listened to a few times before truly hearing the genius involved in the recording. For me it hit when I finally played the album really loudly on my Bryston amplifier and JBL speakers, and the album went from something that seemed a little sloppy, muddled and contrived, to finely tuned, carefully arranged and choreographed. It’s a rich tapestry of creativity, with 11 minds who contributed ideas and instrumental performances, which could have ended up like a pretentious wank-fest like Phish, but here works together in symphonic serendipity. BSS has the admired elements of Yo La Tengo, Flaming Lips, The Cure and even Echo & The Bunnymen, but with massive sounding songs like “Windsurfing Nation” and “Superconnected” they execute an electronica-minded sensibility that could rock dance floors worldwide à la Chemical Brothers or Fatboy Slim. Remix projects overseas for the band should be seriously considered. —AZ

The Sound of Young New York & Toronto
(Plant Music/Fusion III)
This 12-track compilation is a sign of the future of crossover electronica-punk rock-alternative music, delivered quite brilliantly as a DJ mix. The tracks themselves highlight some new blood in the raunchy punk-alternative scene, from New York and Toronto, including bands like These Bones, Death From Above 1979, Radio 4, Panthers, The Voices, Itchy Revolutions and Neurotic Drum Band. Again, there is a crossover element in the music with electronica, which works with these artists and hopefully will lead to more innovative tunes from combining these genres of music. —SA