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Meshing early 80's post punk sounds with the 90's Britpop ethic,
Metropolitan bursts onto the scene with their third release,
and it is full of catchy riffing and meaningful angst. From the
first moment of sound on The Lines They Get Broken, the
band launches into heavily influenced pre-indie rock mayhem. Taking
his bass cues from the likes of Joy Division, Shyam
Telikicherla pounds out poignant and well-conceived bass lines
that contribute beautifully to the guitars and drums provided
by John Masters and Saadat Awan (who consequently
share both drumming and guitar duties). The band hails from Washington,
DC, but don't let that put you off. This band doesn't hold to
the Dischord motto of noisy punk rock. Instead, Metropolitan brings
melodic light into a very dark musical city. The songs have that
certain scrub that made early Gang Of Four and Wire
such wonderful musical conglomerates, and was the magical
ingredient in so much of the post-punk era. Britpop influence
rides high on tracks like "Here Or There" and "Headway".
We're talking walls of chiming and lush guitars over a solid bed
of rhythmic intensity. Songs such as "Pakistan International"
move into the modern semi-psychedelic movement, reminding me of
the calmer, less noise-inspired moments of bands such as the Dandy
Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. And to top
it off, the modern trend towards Euro-garage rock has given us
bands like The Killers and The Hives, and that sound
is also vaguely represented on this record. All told, The Lines
They Get Broken is a fantastic collection of music that will
appeal to the ears of many people interested in many different
musical styles. Song by song Metropolitan make nods toward many
diverse musical styles, but all the while maintain their own very
unique and memorable sound.
-L. Keane
Track Listing:
1. Here Or There
2. Homeroom
3. Letterbox
4. Downstream
5. Is It Too Loud?
6. Pakistan International
7. Headway
8. Western Star
9. Made The Cut
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