For a title like “Fantasies,” Metric’s latest offering is surprisingly prosaic. And I mean this in the best way possible. Metric exists in that all too common limbo between the wildly successful mainstream and the underground Indie darlings (although they were lucky enough to grace the frames of “Grey’s Anatomy”).  When band’s such as these  take almost half a decade in between full length releases, there is a tendency for “reinvention” and general hogwash. But in this case, Emily Haines and company are sticking with what they do best: vaguely-grungy, deliciously- bittersweet synth pop. A dark chocolate-covered jolly rancher, if you will. And, while this often leads to accusations of an overly “formulaic” sound, it is a successful formula, dammit.

Instrumentally, the album definitely leans more on a guitar heavy sound than synth, but both always ride shotgun to Haines’ vocals. They are the driving force in the tracks, but her (relative) softness provides a nice contrast to the stronger instrumental sound of the majority of the album.  Lyrically, there is a simultaneous simplicity and ambiguity which allows for some very acceptable pretensions to be mixed in.

The infectious single “Help, I’m Alive,” is an intense need to drive into a neon-light jungle, dissociated cigarette hanging from you pouting lips.  However, the song that has stuck with me has to be “Blindness,” the second to last track. It’s less catchy than the more up tempo numbers (I skipped over it the first three times i listened to the album), but once given a chance, it burrows into your subconscious and hangs there tenaciously. The song has a tone of sincerity, which can be uncommon for music of this type.  After all, It’s terrifying to let go of one’s disaffected irony life saver.