Tom: I know, they’re not remotely Europop. But they’re also one of the biggest bands in the world, and taking an interesting new direction – so let’s have a listen to this one.
Tim: Is that it? Because, well, that is an interesting new direction if they’ve pretty much dropped everything a lot of people associate with Muse (i.e. loud guitars and drums and rock stuff).
Tom: They’ve never been a band scared of experimentation, despite their mainstream popularity: they had a 13-minute symphony on their last album. And now? Well, they’ve found dubstep, released a calm track, and Matt Bellamy now sounds like a cross between George Michael and Freddie Mercury. In fact, Muse seem to be closest we have to a modern version of Queen – and I mean that as a compliment, not in the sense that they’re ripping them off.
Tim: Well, possibly, though I’d add Bono into that collective. It’s interesting how they use the instrumental break to pretty much completely switch genres, turning the dance stuff way down low until the very end when there’s nothing else left.
Tom: It’s the epitome of a slow builder, ending in a positively triumphant chorus. It’s not traditional Muse, and I don’t know what the fans will think – but I like it.
Tim: I like it too, which really isn’t the sort of thing I thought I’d end a review of a Muse track with.