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BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About LOTD
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Metropolitan: Down For You Is Up
Metropolitan's sound, like
their hometown of Washington DC, is all business.
The trio produces tight, catchy songs and seems to know just exactly
where they're going. I'm not sure
that can be said for their neighbors, our politicians.
Despite their obvious indie rock influences, the band still has the
wherewithal to experiment, telling a sonic story through the tracks "They
Meet," "The Chase," "The Explosion," "The
Escape," and "The Dust," filling out their new LP, Down For
You Is Up, with short transitional tracks of churning drums and wandering
guitar and bass. This disc is
filled with great beats and hooks, and its utterly danceable or head-bobbable,
whichever greases your wheels. John Masters' vocals and guitar
seem to carry the songs but would be lost without Shyam Telikicherla's throbbing
bass and Saadat Awan's guiding drumbeats. "Long
Distance Dedication" is a widely acknowledged favorite, as well it should
be. All of Metropolitan's songs are
deliberately planned and delivered with grace and authority. "Long Distance Dedication," with its simplicity and
infectious pop hooks, climbs to the top of the list. "The Girl From Montpellier" stands out because of
the band's use of harmonium and tabla in addition to the maybe-not-so-surprising change-up of drummer and singer/guitarist.
Metropolitan's recent show at the the Galaxy Hut in Clarendon clarified this
difference in vocals (Hey! The
guitarist can play the drums too! And
the drummer can play the guitar! Cool!"). On "This Real," the keyboards add something D-Plan-like to
the sound, and I
wish they had used them more on the rest of the album. Their live show was a little understated, but then again, the
Galaxy Hut is the kind of place where you can sneeze from one end of the room to
the other, so you can't really fault their rigidity.
Down For You Is Up is a solid album, from a solid and experienced
trio. This is good, honest music. You should listen to it.
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