Alex Metric - Open Your Eyes (Remixes & Productions)

If you like your dance music echoing, moody, and fit for the night bus (a la James Blake) ‘Open Your Eyes’ is probably not the album for you. Alex Metric has put together 50-odd minutes of his favourite work; all bouncy, high-octane and packed to the brim with upbeat piano riffs and relentless samba inspired beats. The first thing that stands out about this album is its track listing - with the likes of Depeche Mode, N*E*R*D, and Beastie Boys, Drury has got a backbone of established artists. Mix this with a selection of newer bands like Niki and the Dove, and ‘Open Your Eyes’ has great potential.

If you didn’t know any better, you could be quite easily fooled into thinking this was the work of Soulwax or Duck Sauce. This could be plucked straight off a Kitsuné compilation - with Phoenix present, and La Roux’s punchy ‘Quicksand’ there is a definite French feel. Title track ‘Open Your Eyes’ is particularly European - playing host to soaring house, plenty of bleeps and glitchy synth. Alex Metric has compared his sound to tears of MDMA joy and Drury’s tinkering with indie groove ‘Lisztomania’ is a high - turning it from winsome into an explosive dancefloor number complete with juddering bass. The disco reworkings of ‘Hypnotize U’ and ‘Stylo’ are also inspired pieces of remixing, managing to stay faithful to the original whilst adding new creative flair.

However it’s not all plain sailing. ‘Open Your Eyes’ is promising house track with skittery bleeps and rock influences - and so it’s a shame when along with his (Style of Eye remix) it becomes tedious and a bit unoriginal. Drury will often produce a winning hook - a brilliant Jamie XX-esque breakdown for example - and then abandon it. Drury’s energy is key to his sound, but also the most frustrating thing about his music. If only you could bottle Alex Metrics enthusiasm and focus it. At it’s best; ‘Open Your Eyes’ is brilliant, high energy and epic, at worst; annoying - a hyperactive child that refuses to be quiet. Whether ‘Open Your Eyes’ is an entirely good trip remains to be seen, but it is certainly an eventful one.