Nothing Left To See

Emily Haines has one of those voices that reminds you of the time when singers sounded like individuals and not just Auto-Tuned factory girls. Her catalogue isn't long enough to secure a place as a permanent member in my vocal Security Council yet but Neko, PJ, Rufus and the rest think there might be room at the table if she keeps this up.

When fronting the punky Canadian outfit Metric she yelps and hollers between her whispers to add a cathartic and propulsive dynamism to their songs. On her second solo outing, Knives Don't Have Your Back, she never steps too hard on the gas. It isn't about getting where you're going, its about gazing out the window and trying to count the stars you're using as a map. Of all the songs my personal fave is "Doctor Blind", which mopes its way to making a point about empty modern hearts stuffed to the brim with pills. We can't swallow human connection and the druggy, plodding video by director Jaron Albertin shows that hard truth in a simple but off putting way. Something's just not right. You know, Emily knows it, and so does the man behind the counter refilling your script.