Metric - Live it Out

Emily Haines is probably my favourite woman in music. Not only has she had a hand in some of the most influential indie records in the last ten years with Broken Social Scene, but her sexy breathiness has adorned two solo releases and three (soon to be four) Metric albums.

It's the last of the three I wanted to focus on in this post. Live it Out is Metric's third and most recent effort, and their most striking work. It's 40 minutes of the highest standard of punchy guitar pop, characterised by Haines' peerlessly seductive vocals.

Monster Hospital sums up the Metric game plan in 3 and a half minutes of sheer joy. Save for the occasional drop in tempo and shift from guitars to synths, Metric don't veer far from their winning formula, and there's no reason why they should. To write such a concise, catchy record which stops short of being throwaway is a gift, and is why I've been coming back to Live it Out on a regular basis for 2 years.

Metric's new album Fantasies is due to hit our shelves on April 7th. What better way to whet the appetite then by digging out Live it Out again.

Download: Metric - Live it Out

Ben Christophers - The Spaces in Between

It's been too long since my last update. I'd like to wheel out my time-honoured 'financial services industry employee in the midst of economic crisis' excuse, but that must be wearing thinner and thinner by now.

Instead, I'll make up for my reticence by posting a beautiful little gem of a record in the form of The Spaces in Between by Ben Christophers. For those yet to sample his work, Ben is a Black Country boy with a soft, occasionally soaring, often haunting voice.

His records haven't sold by the bucketload, and at this stage it's probably fair to say they aren't ever likely to. This is presumably why he has occasionally resorted to bill-paying exercises like his recent stint in Bat For Lashes' backing band. Perhaps this isn't such a bad thing though. To me it keeps his records a more intimate and personal experience. Or maybe it's just latent indie snobbery on my part...

The Spaces in Between is Ben's third record, and probably my favourite of his. To me it blends perfectly his propensities towards delicate ethereal songs, and uplifting folky pop, both of which are laced through with subtle electronic touches. The quality of the songs is consistently high, right up to the eponymous final track, which is arguably the best song of his career.

There's a new Ben Christophers record on the way, a long-overdue follow-up to 2005's collection of experimental home demos 'Viewfinder'. There's no word on a release date as yet, but there aren't many other albums I'm anticipating more this year.

Enjoy this album, and explore the rest of Ben's work, as pretty much everything he has ever done has been gold.

Download: Ben Christophers - The Spaces in Between