Friday, June 03, 2016

Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton: Knives Don't Have Your Back (2006)

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There's a pattern in the system
There's a bullet in the gun
That's why I tried to save you
But it can't be done

- Our Hell, Emily Haines

I remember reading reviews of this album on Amazon after it was released and was amazed at the number of fools who complained that they didn't like the record because it did not sound like Metric! Idiots. Why on earth would anyone want or expect the same? A solo record should be a solo record for a reason.

I have often wondered why lead singers release solo records when the resulting record sounds just like the band they sing for. I mean, unless the band breaks up, why put out a record that could have been a band record? I know, some singers have too much material or there are other obligations at play.

Knives Don't Have Your Back is brilliant. It sounds nothing like Metric, which is a good thing. I say this as someone who likes Metric. I would argue that this record is way better than Metric.

The good news is that you don't have to pay the over-inflated prices for this. It was recently repressed and I have seen copies for about $30. Someone paid over $100 for this record on Discogs! That's a few dollars more that the top price for the 2xLP version.

By the way, I am sure that I know what store this was filmed in. It's now closed as part of that Target debacle.

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