- See Emily play
Metric sound edgier today than they did back in 2003, when singer and bandleader Emily Haines fiercely urged fans to “fight off the lethargy” in “Combat Baby.” The band has always popped out of the speakers with its stuttered percussion and growling riffs. But their fourth album, Fantasies, purrs with maniacal energy that’s as danceable as ever. The guitar line in “Sick Muse” looks back to classic Depeche Mode and adds some swagger to the mix, and, true to its name, “Gold Guns Girls” fires like a 24-karat pistol. Fantasies’ fast pace is a sure bet for a sweaty, sloppy crowd, but sprawling ballads “Love Is a Place” and “Torture Me” give the Canadian band a second to cool down and Haines a chance to show off her seductive voice. Dark lyrics cloud the exuberance you typically find in music this butt-shaking. “If this is the life, why does it feel so good to die today?” asks Haines when she isn’t howling “Help, I’m alive.” Metric, with Bear in Heaven play House of Blues at 8 p.m. Tickets: $20 advance, $23 day of show. —Danielle Sills
Review the show at clevescene.com/concertscene
