A significant segment of the pop/rock we hear nowadays bears its roots in the electronica trend that reared its head in the ‘80s and ‘90s. If you think about it, even back then, there was a wide range of music that would be categorized under the genre — from the moody, darker side of such bands as Echo & the Bunnymen, Radiohead and Depeche Mode; to the sunnier sounds of Human League, Erasure and the soundtrack of Electric Dreams. Groove Armada and Metric are two acts with current CDs that continue to mine and enhance the genre.
Groove Armada — Black Light (OM Records/EMI). Andy Cato and Tom Findlay are Groove Armada, and since 1996, they’ve been known for their laid-back chill-out music that incorporates various styles from rap to reggae. Black Light heralds a new phase for their music, and if one had to coin a description, it would be alternative/electronic. It’s still the full assault wall-of-sound we’ve come to expect from the band, but there’s more guitar and synthesizer-driven arrangements and a more rock feel to the music. On Shameless, an electro-ballad, we even have Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry handling the vocals and speaking French. There’s a lot of diversity on the CD as the musical styles shift and change — not only from song to song, but even within a single song. Not all work, but still worth the listen.
Metric — Fantasies (EMI). Psychedelia, electro and rock all merge in the music of Metric. A four-man band that hails from NYC with lead vocals handled by frontwoman Emily Haines, one would have to think of a more mature Paramore, or Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders updated for today, to get an inkling of what Metric is all about. Suffice it to say that its music works, and what’s interesting to note is how the songs all pretty much stand on their own, even after repeated listenings. While Sick Muse and Gold Guns Girls are faves, the one standout track would be Gimme Sympathy, where the chorus asks the age-old question, “Who would you rather be? The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?” — and the implied retort is neither, and why do we even have to still ask! Love the attitude!