A futuristic introspection

Long-time rock darlings Metric interrogate their legacy throughout their eighth studio album Formentera. With house-inspired synths and a bass-driven sound, their outlook on this album is far from shining. Beyond its loud, powerful beats, Metric has carved a unique position throughout this album. Despite all of the harsh realities they face as a band with such a high profile, they never lose sight of their appreciation for their fanbase. As much as the album is cynical about the present, it presents new realities in the future that do not make it delve into hopelessness. If the world is ending, at least someone will be dancing to their music.

This idea is exemplified from the moment “Doomscrolling” begins. As an opener goes, Formentera‘s is explosive, with every moment feeling like a bolt of lightning crashing. In its thumping bassline, there is a feeling of being pummeled. Its contradictions are immediate. While the song plays as electrically as a ’90s house song, its instrumentals also are as busy and chaotic as the digital age. Never too busy to be a mess, but busy enough where there is a dizzying effect. The listener engages with its 10-minute runtime as a ritual, the motions of doomscrolling repeated with the sounds of a kicking beat that abruptly cuts to dreamy, ethereal verses. Its dizzying capability is indicative of the mood for the rest of the album, engaging with it in a way that the runtime seems to fly by as if a necessary catharsis to kickstart Metric’s newest era.

The lead single “All Comes Crashing” is a more romantic song, depicting what it means to be placed at the end of the world with people one loves. Pop elements still echo throughout but have a sense of optimism and fortitude that connect with the elements of previous songs. In a way, its lack of heavy percussion is a way to bridge into the rest of the album. With more lyrical elements, there is an immediate understanding of the album and its purpose. As far as leading tracks go, the album’s aesthetic is apparent, with its drab elements apparent, but not overpowering. Its sound permeates throughout to create a soundscape that is distinctly futuristic and Metric.

The title track “Formentera” has swelling, cinematic artistry in a way that reminds one almost of dream-pop. The bassline has a groove to it that seems to have a pop sensibility, but the introspective, stripped-back approach makes it a poignant addition to the rest of the album. In a way, it presents a transition from the more house-based elements to more of the ’80s synthetic sounds, creating a nostalgic blend that leaves one to listen with wonder. In intentionality, the song mimics transcendence. One of the album’s strongest tracks, it has a powerful lyrical drive that carries its message authoritatively.

“I Will Never Settle” and “Enemies of the Ocean” are more traditional songs. With fewer instrumentals and occasional synths punctuating the verses, they build momentum before exploding into kinetic choruses. Much like earlier tracks, they have a quality that is intrinsic to house music. In kinetic, looping choruses, the message of hope reflects the inherent optimism of the house genre itself. Chord progressions inherently mimic the increasing revelations throughout the album in a way that seems rewarding. While cohesive, the message increasingly grows from desperation to owning the present as a mutable thing, embracing the contradictions that come with it.

“Paths In the Sky” ends the album on a note that leaves a more blissful ending. In the chaos that radiates from “Doomscrolling,” the end has been stripped to its essentials and embraces mundanity. In simple, poignant lines, Metric describes the nature of time being never-ending, yet necessary to heal. As love is described, the ambiguity of the album’s closing truly leaves the listener wondering how the future will look. Yet, unlike before, there is peace with the inevitable. An album rarely ends with a personal favorite, yet “Paths In the Sky” is a beautiful ballad for the apocalypse. Metric‘s newest album makes one want to bring everyone together, as friendship is the only way that maintains a sense of sanity in supposedly senseless times.