Nights Out
From hearing the opening track, 'Nights Intro', it becomes hardly surprising that Metronomy consists of just one man, Joseph Mount. Flat beats um and ah providing a distorted, minimalist base to introduce an anorexic guitar line and military drums. From silence to substance in little under two minutes. Doubts abound as to whether Mount can produce a sustainable melody; 'The End Of You Too' shatters such theories. Quickly bringing in rudimentary keyboard before more spindly guitar and percussion. Throwing in even more instruments could be tantamount to chaos yet it balances itself well.
Amongst the glut of beats and melodies, there is one thing missing, vocals. Keeping in check with the minimalism, Mount keeps it simple for single Radio Ladio. That the vocals only consist of variations of just two lines and the song title being spelled out only adds to the prosperous modesty. Again, the secret lies in building atop successful segments; that the end result is worth more than the sum of its parts.
Mount seems to be outlaying increasingly confident sounds at this point. Before he sung flatly and rather robotically, now he is willing to prove he can actually carry a note. From settling down as a producer, his vocals in 'My Heart Rate Rapid' add a promising personal touch. It takes over a minute for a brisk drumbeat and building synths to be set aside but you finally get the impression that Mount can actually sing, albeit with a little assistance.
If the Kraftwerk comparisons had not become pronounced yet then they surely must for On The Motorway. Not only due to the Autobahn link but the driving, repetitious rhythms that the German band were renowned for. Quite what Side 2 adds is a mystery, it could be a useful break if the album was produced on vinyl or provide some daft sound tracking for a 70s kung fu film yet interrupts what had become an encouraging section.
Thankfully Mount realises the error of his ways, introducing a throbbing, head nodding bassline for 'Holiday', complimenting the ghostly echoing voices admirably. The closest effort to a pop song comes in 'A Thing For Me', a delightfully poised attempt to depict mind games on a night out. 'Back On The Motorway' also shows that whilst Mount can easily formulate beats into melodies, he can also lyrically link rhythm to rhyme. 'Nights Outro' continues to defy convention, instead of beguiling electro, the album ends on an acoustic guitar instrumental. You get the impression that Mount would not end it any other way for a wonderfully varied album.