Emily Haines And The Soft Skeleton — Knives Don't Have Your Back

This much-delayed solo release is actually refreshing, as it's a true departure from Metric for Emily Haines. The writing is introspective, often revealing a scarred psyche, and the sparse instrumentation heightens the emotional impact of sleepy songs. Opener "Our Hell" is led by a haunting melody from Haines and plaintive piano augmented by ambient noise and here-and-there drumming. It's a blueprint for much of the rest of the album. In an age where every indie rocker is punching in a string section, "Dr. Blind" demonstrates how it can be done with taste and dramatic purpose. "Crowd Surf Off A Cliff" and "Nothing And Nowhere" come off like therapeutic exercises and resemble the early '70s work of John Lennon. Haines' songs are compelling, hopeful and optimistic, but their romantic ideals are tempered by self-analysis, mourning and edgy bitterness.

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