Punishing Japanese electronic artist Merzbow was once quoted as saying, “If noise means uncomfortable sound, then pop music is noise to me." It’s difficult to completely agree with this attitude, but one thing that’s definitely unpleasant (or at best, boring) is water-treading, middle-of-the-road CanCon like Metric’s Fantasies.

Back in the early aughts, Emily Haines and her mates offered up frenetic, fast-paced synth-pop that sounds dated now but was at least somewhat catchy. These days, their approach consists of stupid-simple riffs, rhythms and melodies, annoyingly cloying vocals and tedious swelling choruses. In other words, they sound like Death Cab For Cutie fronted by a female, and this is the album you’ll be unable to avoid every time you flick past MuchMusic or visit the mall.