Metroschifter

Strawberries (Doghouse)
by Tim Den

Scott Richter has joined the club. You know, that club where bands led by a record label owner have gotten so good that they no longer need to put out their records on their own label. Yes, Scott Richter (owner of Initial Records) and Metroschifter have joined the ranks of Bad Religion and NOFX and released their latest effort, Strawberries, on another label. And to prove the club has standards, Metroschifter made sure this release is their greatest yet. Although an EP (following last year’s split with The Shipping News), this six-song platter is by far the most adventurous and tasty this unpredictable band has ever offered, taking the band’s unique indie/twisted rock sound beyond the status quo. Cutting right to the core with a surprising opening of cellos and strings, Strawberries never goes where you expect. Just as you begin to settle into the serene orchestration, it’s replaced in a flash with sporadic but heavy guitars. And just when you’ve planted yourself into the band’s rocking numbers (which, at the risk of sounding like a cop-out, are really undescribable. A truly unique style), they’re plucked away from you and replaced with tangy electronic interludes (“Continuing Piece” and “Opaque”). One might think that such back-and-forth would get annoying, but it’s just the opposite. The whole record flows, its polar opposite tracks complimenting each other like green stem atop a ripe (what else) red strawberry. Plus, with the advantages that come with being an EP, the record ends before the wild trip begins to feel uneasy. It’s no wonder that Metroschifter is no longer on Richter’s Initial label: they’re simply way too good to be kept to himself.

Metroschifter are just getting started (at least I hope). Being on Doghouse is (and should be) their first step in making the world realize they’ve got one helluva original band under their noses.
(PO Box 8946 Toledo, OH 43623)