Here’s a little peek at my thought process before starting this review: “Chris, all your music reviews are of rock bands with a heavy focus on electric guitar. Maybe you should review something different this time. It looks like Deadmau5 has a new album out, people seem to – oh wait, Muse’s new album is streaming for free on iTunes. Never mind.”
So yes, “The 2nd Law” is almost here, and after having listened to it, I can safely say it is excellent. Muse fans rejoice. After a bit of a stumble with 2009’s, “The Resistance,” which felt too tame and orchestral to really fit with Muse’s past genius, the English trio has returned to form with “The 2nd Law.”
Now, let me clarify here that when I say, “return to form,” I don’t mean that it sounds exactly like “Origin of Symmetry” (2001). That would be a step backwards. “Origin of Symmetry” was an amazing album, but artists should never try to rehash previous work. They should evolve and grow to create more daring and interesting things, and “The 2nd Law” is certainly that.
Muse creates incredible diversity with this album. It’s a little bit anthem rock, a little bit funk, a little bit techno, a little bit grunge, a little bit dubstep (yes, you read that right), a little bit classical, a little bit metal, and all Muse. Seriously, there are a lot of genres at work here, but they make it work in ways no other band could.
It’s no secret I’m in a bit of a love affair with the electric guitar, and, while certainly present in this album, it’s not the dominating focus. The band has enough faith in the music and their creativity to let other influences take the spotlight.
What’s even more impressive is they never let any of these separate influences overstay its welcome. At first, you may be listening to a slow, melodic techno piece with an emphasis on vocal harmonies, and then, in an instant, the next song is a galloping orchestral race, consistently building up to a single moment where everything stops cold before the dubstep comes in. It’s different in all the best ways.
Front man, Matt Bellamy, takes absolutely no shame in reminding us that he is one hell of a falsetto singer. Seriously, try not feeling a little tingly after hearing one of his screams. But what’s even more interesting is that the bassist, Chris Wolstenholme, takes up the lead mic for a couple of songs and totally nails it, something they’ve never tried before.
I’ll admit, I didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics, but Muse has never had a problem with writing lyrics, so I’m not too concerned.
I’m not just some crazed fan of Muse. I wasn’t a fan of “The Resistance.” In fact, I don’t own any songs off of that album, and lately I’d been concerned about the direction in which Muse was heading. Those concerns have since been crushed with “The 2nd Law.”