“Nothing Is Perfect” might be true, but the newest song and video from alt-rock band Metric shows a band can still surprise due to how consistent they remain. Almost 20 years after their debut album, the Canadian quartet is gearing up for their ninth full-length album, Formentera II, a sequel to last year’s Formentera, due Oct. 13.
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Miraculously, they’ve retained the same lineup, which includes guitarist Jimmy Shaw, bassist Joshua Winstead, drummer Joules Scott Key, and Emily Haines on vocals and keys. And while they have two decades of experience behind them, “Nothing Is Perfect” moves Metric away from their new wave beginnings on a welcomed acoustic switch-up.
Joining Haines’ gentle vocals is the sound of a sole acoustic guitar that simply strums along and gives the singer room for some pleasant harmonizing. Similarly, the lyrics themselves calmly declare things like “Nothing is real,” seemingly accepting that none of our worries matter in the end. What might be a sad realization is instead an acceptance made reassuring thanks to Haines holding her own through a track that might sound empty in another singer’s hands.
Carrying over the same simplicity found in the song, the music video for “Nothing Is Perfect” features only two of the four band members standing in the pitch black and the middle of the woods. The camera frantically zooms around the two, almost as if waiting for something exciting to happen. But nothing exciting happens with the visuals, lending all the focus to the music itself.
Despite their countless credits, the band is perhaps best known for contributing to the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World soundtrack, with “Black Sheep” exploding in popularity within the past two years. But when a band like Metric has garnered too many achievements to name, it’s endearing to know they are still going through the creative process just like any other artist starting out.
“‘Nothing Is Perfect’ stands out on Formentera II as the lone track that is carried by only acoustic guitar and vocals,” said Haines. “We explored many renditions of this song during the recording process, but in the end found that everything we tried adding seemed to detract from the essence of it.” Safe to say they chose the best rendition, resulting in a single that embraces its simplicity without losing its substance.
Words: David Sosa
“Nothing Is Perfect” by Metric is out on all streaming services. For more on live shows and their upcoming album, follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
