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The record may have a little less electronic slink than prior efforts, but it has a propulsive energy, even in the mid-tempo tracks, that makes the record easy to like.
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Metric has a hard time balancing its pop side and its experimental side, and not enough of the new record is as memorable as its simmering regret ballad "Too Little Too Late" or the frenzied retro-dance cut "Monster Hospital."
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The guitars are louder, the songs are a little more complex, and so the band walks a tightrope between power-pop and rawk.
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Think of Metric as a poppier Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Breeders and think of Live It Out as another step toward indie-pop splendor.
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SpinPlays like a poppy salvo against [Broken Social Scene's] cerebral forays. [Oct 2005, p.138]
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Metric take rock 'n' roll to a smarter, more sophisticated place than do most of today's American bands.
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It hardly takes more than a deadly Haines verse and Shaw's muscled melodies to Live It Out.
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Live It Out is stymied by lame riffing and unqualified wonkage.
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On Live It Out Metric has made a commitment to their louder guitar-centric side.
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BillboardAlthough Metric might get lost in the ongoing mainstream melee, "Live It Out" has all the right ingredients for building a strong underground fan base. [29 Oct 2005]
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BlenderA spirited, gutsy evolution from the formalist new wave of Metric's first album. [Nov 2005, p.138]
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Under The RadarOne of the year's best. [#11, p.107]
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As bouncy as it is insightful, as flashy as it is understated.
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There isn’t a track on Live It Out that stays fresh from start to finish. Some takes wrong turns along the way; others simply wear out their welcome a tad too quickly. Still, all but a couple contain individual moments or elements strong enough to overshadow the weaker links.
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Alternative PressEven [Haines'] coos about war can't make Live feel urgent or save its slanted art-rock outbursts. [Dec 2005, p.214]
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Metric fails to touch on anything profound.
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MagnetThe finest moments here are all Feist-like. [#70, p.102]
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UncutEmily Haines is still secretly one of the most articulate, compelling performers in modern rock. [Feb 2006, p.70]
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UrbThe perfect balance of sleaze and smarts. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.95]
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Though too many of these songs nudge the five-minute mark, Metric have discovered a maturity that matches Haines's complexity.
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One of the best albums in North America last year and surely one of the best of 2006 for us; Live It Out is sinister, intelligent music for sinister, intelligent people.
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New Musical Express (NME)Despite questionable lyrics, it's a much more cohesive album. [8 Jul 2006, p.41]
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Obviously nobody would pay attention to her smart lyrics if the music didn't compete, but, largely, it does.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 32 out of 38
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Mixed: 4 out of 38
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Negative: 2 out of 38
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Jun 8, 2012
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Nov 11, 2013
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Oct 21, 2012