Metric Releases “Romanticize the Dive”
Written by Eve Elliot
On Romanticize the Dive, Canadian indie-rock staple Metric takes an introspective look at the highs and lows of a long career in music.
With over 25 years of experience under their belt, Metric is ready to look back and share some lessons learned. Starting their 10th album off strong is “Victim of Luck”, a classic indie-pop jam meant to be listened to while driving through the city at night with all the windows down. Behind the upbeat synths and catchy sing-along chorus (who isn’t going to be shouting along to “Countdown to a hot mess, five, four, three, two, one”?) is an exploration of the unseen perils of achieving your goals. Lead singer and one of the founding members of Metric, Emily Haines, sings about the increased pressure that comes from gaining an audience. She repeats the phrase, “Now I don’t know what we are, frightened of heights we knew/Scared to go too far, how I might look to you”. The song ultimately resolves in a feeling of hope and Haines rediscovering the freedom she felt as a starving artist.
Hope weaves itself through much of the album, contrasting nicely with the haunting feeling that arises in many of the songs focused on past experiences. “Crush Forever” pairs its reflection on wild youthfulness with a haunting sound and ghostly vocal harmonies. A descending guitar riff over the chorus of the next track, “Tremolo”, achieves a similar effect. Haines sings, “Why didn’t I take another path at the crossroads?/Crystal ball nobody can see/All of these question marks, what could’ve been”. The resulting feeling is a spiral of uncertainty until Haines finishes the chorus with a shout of hope: “Circumstance is a bastard, dance with me”. She accepts that the choices she made are in the past and that dwelling on alternate possibilities damages her present self.
Metric continues to promote self-care in the form of getting outside of your head on the very danceable “Antigravity”. With pounding drums and a Stranger Things-esque synth beat, “Antigravity” is meant to get you on the dancefloor, ignoring the thoughts that bring you down. It’s about pushing forward and reaching your full potential. The album closer, “Leave You On A High,” intends to do just as it says. Metric shares its final piece of advice after ten songs spent reflecting on the journey to where they are now. Haines sings on the final verse, “And to hold a grudge/Is the lowest crutch/So go big and stay high/Or your mind can get so small”. The track relies more heavily on basic guitar and drums than any other on the album, giving it a more grounded and familiar feel. It’s a solid send-off that ties back to the band’s rock roots.
True to its title, Romanticize the Dive does an admirable job of exploring the past, finding the beauty in it, and learning to pull from the well of experience without getting trapped in it. Sonically, Metric evolves further into the synth-pop sound, continuing to embrace atmospheric synths and experimenting with vocal effects. For a band now old enough to leave a legacy behind them, they seem to be continuing without fear or need for approval, while encouraging their listeners to do the same.
