The Thousands

In suburban Toronto, there’s a wonderfully fruitful group of friends. From their collective talent has sprung Broken Social Scene and its offshoots (KC Accidental, Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning) and Stars, among others. Their lineage follows two streams: the warped-universe dream rock (Broken Social Scene) and the sharp, hella-produced emotional electro (Stars). Metric, spawn from the same city and the same circle of friends, have taken the latter.

Fantasies sits fairly contentedly among constant 808 backbeats and anthem-like choruses. Everything is painted with 80s pop moroseness and melody and a definite studio sheen – not unlike Stars’ Sad Robots – and to that end the record is enjoyable. Emily Haines sometimes falls short vocally – almost pared back, like a half-shot Karen O – and subsequently ‘Gimme Sympathy’ comes on sappy and unconvincing. Still, there is life to the record: the brilliantly hummable ‘Sick Muse’ among the proof the quartet can pen killer songs.