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This 3rd album from Washington, DC's Metropolitan begins and ends on decidedly Pavement-esque notes. The opening track "Here or There" kicks off with the exact same guitar sound as "Summer Babe", though it doesn't match that song's pop ebullience. They maintain a trebly, distorted guitar sound throughout the album, and singer John Masters has a clipped, faux-British delivery. Co-producers Archie Moore (Velocity Girl) and Jason Caddell (Dismemberment Plan) are a good match here, as Metropolitan combines the noise-pop and angular artiness of the producers' respective bands. At times ("Homeroom") Metropolitan comes across as a noisier Flin Flon, and one track ("Downstream") sounds like the members of Supergrass were replaced with Thurston Moore, the JAMC's Reid brothers, and Jonathan Richman circa 1974. They turn on a little bit of psychedelic echo here and there, which actually provides my favorite moments on the disc. The closing track "Made the Cut" could, ironically, be an outtake from Slanted and Enchanted, although one that, when you heard it, would make you agree with its exclusion from the album. This disc is a little hit and miss, but overall good. (mike.06.05)
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