Joe Mount, the creative mastermind behind Metronomy, is thinking about his legacy. In the 10 plus years since the band’s ‘Nights Out’ era, he has grown up, had children and settled down in the Kent countryside. The music should have done the same, if it is to last as long as the title of their sixth LP, ‘Metronomy Forever’, suggests it might.
In many ways, it has. There are elements of maturity in the trance-forming rhythms of Lying Low and Miracle Rooftop, which both showcase beautiful electronica made for getting lost in.
The Light and Lately (Going Spare) are groovy and delicious, continuing a laid back DJ style that’s on Bicep’s wavelength or the feel of LCD Soundsystem’s longer cuts.
With a little tweaking they could also fall somewhere within the confines of Daft Punk’s mindset. But 'Metronomy Forever’ is also home to some great indie-pop songs.
Lately is a brilliant psychedelic playtime that merges tight guitars with strong synth-led melodies in the chorus, and the catchy Wedding Bells tries on the best bits of Future Islands for size. These are the kind of songs that will remain pillars in Metronomy’s catalogue.
What won’t stand the test of time are the songs that lack those attention-grabbing melodies Mount used to be so good at. Whitsand Bay sparks memories of immortal moments from 2011’s ‘The English Riviera’, and Walking In The Dark is a hair’s breadth away from harking back to the unforgettable Corinne, but neither elicit the same emotional response.
If it weren’t for the energy behind it Insecurity would sound lazy, with a basic chord sequence, practice-amp guitar tone and lyrics that all come straight out of a Year 9 music class: “I’ve got an insecurity, gets real bad when you’re next to me.” That energy isn’t always around, either, with key lacklustre moments reducing the album’s potential from great to merely good.
Upset My Girlfriend is the clincher—what could have been an emotional interlude for the final chapter instead makes us want to shut the whole book.If you stay for the final page, Ur Mixtape is a self-consciously introspective and minimalist track that sends Mac Demarco for a dissonant spin, leaving a thoughtful aftertaste of how we will be remembered in a decade.
For Metronomy, that will be with a sixth album that experimented in techno production, low-key “I’m cooler than you” funk, a handful of messy, unpolished tracks that truly grate, but also some cracking pop numbers that showcase Mount’s manipulation of the genre.
Metronomy Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed November 06 2019 - SOUTHAMPTON O2 Guildhall
Thu November 07 2019 - LONDON Roundhouse
Fri November 08 2019 - LONDON Roundhouse
Sat November 09 2019 - MANCHESTER Academy
Mon November 11 2019 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Wed November 13 2019 - GLASGOW SWG3
Thu November 14 2019 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Fri November 15 2019 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Sat November 16 2019 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
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