I’ve been sitting on Muse’s “The Resistance” for about 2 days now and only just got round to writing up a review. These past two days have consisted of consecutive listens to the album and let me tell you I am blown away. I could tell you my view of the album on the whole. I could tell you how it compares to the bands previous two releases. I could tell you that Muse has done it again and are the greatest active rock band in the world. Or, I could attempt to take you through the album, track by track, armed with nothing but my words and imagination. The latter seems more fun haha. And also, I have yet to see such a song by song break down. So here you go:
-- The first song is “Uprising”, the pounding football (soccer for us Yankees) anthem that is both energizing and invigorating. You may have heard this song dozens of time between the streams, downloads, and even your local radio station but I urge you, when you do get your hands on the album, listen to this song again in the context of the entirety of the masterpiece that is The Resistance. It has a very specific role in setting the apocalyptic atmosphere of the album. The song is also available for download on nclrMUSiC if you go back a couple of posts.
Next we have the song “Resistance”, a great piece just short of 6 minutes that puts you first into the cockpit of a spaceship and next into the front seat of a Broadway musical, I guess comparable to Bowie’s “Space Oddity” in that regard. This a Muse composition at its greatest with a driving rhythm, lyrics consistent with this concert hall in another galaxy vibe, interesting and original bass guitar, driving chord progressions, and beautiful melodies carried throughout by the trio. The only thing I would have to say about this song is that it probably would have been a better fit closer to the end of the album, probably after track 8 “I Belong to You” being firstly that it is the title track but also because it gives the listener the false impression that the album is devoted entirely to this idea of David resisting Goliath when in fact a majority of the album is a revealing exposition of love.
Third is the album’s most easily sung along to track entitled “Undisclosed Desires”. Bellamy sings “Please me, show me how its done. Tease me, you are the one” making this the albums first song dealing with the subjects of passion, lust, and love. Oh, and by the way, this track is actually the first Muse song ever to feature no piano or guitar. You hear me right, all Bellamy does is belt it out on this song. A YouTube video of the band performing the song shows him at his most crowd involving ever, leaning over the stage and reaching out to his devoted fans and followers. Bellamy himself stated that this track could have very well been a Timbaland song if it weren’t for his vocals. Now don’t take this the wrong way, what he means is that it takes advantage of technology rather than the physical instruments we are used to hearing Bellamy express himself through.
By the fourth track, “United States of Eurasia (+ Collateral Damage)”, which we were given a couple of weeks ago, Bellamy shows us his classical and even eastern, perhaps Arabian piano influences, as well as the inevitable Queen comparison. Most of you have probably heard this track already and don’t get me wrong I like it a lot, even the Chopin concerto at the end. The only thing that gets me is the corniness of the “Eur-a-sia” cheer thing. Muse is always pushing this line that sci-fi movie makers know well of between corny indulgence and badass evocative epicness. This may be the one Muse track ever that I feel was taken a bit too far and my first few listens to the album I admit skipping over United States. Again you can find this track available for download a couple of posts back.
Next is "Guiding Light": Muse once again though surprises us on track five which has a synth backing, very light drums, and one of the simplest but still awesome Muse guitar riffs ever. Bellamy puts on his U2 hat in this song with an epic chorus again regarding a special someone. Then, a little after 2 minutes, when you think you’ve figured out Bellamy’s approach to this song, he surprises us again with a Briany May-style guitar solo that ends with a vocal harmony, and then he switches to the Edge again haha. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying this is a bad thing at all that it evokes images of these guitar greats. It’s just refreshing to hear Bellamy to do a ballad that seems genuinely heart-felt. This song, if you let down your inhibitions, is really a beautiful piece that could have easily been a hit if U2 had done it. But, unfortunately, since it is Muse, on this single album they have at least 6 or 7 songs that outshadow Guiding Light.
And now we’ve reached “Unnatural Selection”. Starts off with a signature Muse credo with something about “No chance for fate, I want a turn”, then a sick guitar riff with a rhythm that reminds me of Muse's "Hysteria" un po. This song, however, is my favorite on the album just because it’s a hands down rocker but still has that Muse epic quality. “We’re not droplets in the o-o-o-o-cean” again reminds me of a big broadway production and also like I said in the beginning feels like it has some Freddy Mercury in it. Actually there a couple of parts that made me think System of a Down also – a very eclectic song to say the least. Bellamy and the Gang slow us down a little bit around halfway through. “Try to ride out the storm” and then, is that a megaphone? Wow that takes me back to “Feelin’ Good” haha, even if its only for a second. Then we go into a modest guitar solo, nothing over the top, this song is about the message: The man is putting us down. Equality is bs when the aristocracy doesn’t allow for social mobility. “I want the truth!” And back into that sick guitar riff! I swear as soon as I’m done writing this I’m learning that thing on guitar.
More synth! Alright fine with me. This songs called “MK Ultra” which if you look up is a very interesting conspiracy in which the US government was testing drugs and mind control and stuff on the general public or something. I feel like this should be some sort of general knowledge like someone should have told me in 8th grade US History. Of course they leave the important stuff out like how our government wants to control our minds. Anyway, don’t worry there’s also some kick ass guitar in this song its not all just Synthesizers and Conspiracies (that could have been the name of the album haha).
Next is “I Belong to You/ Mon Coeur S’ouvre a ta Voix”: an amazing pop song that can be described as both fun and beautiful. My heart opens to your voice, is the French translation so that you guy don’t hafta look it up, a beautiful title in and of itself. Zane Lowe described this album as "A beautifully recorded, strong, sweeping, fighting, uplifting, rocking, and inclusive record about love.” Like I mentioned before, that is the most notable difference in this record: the fact that for the first time the listener feels like they are given a glimpse into the heart and mind of songwriter and composer Matt Bellamy and not simply his imagination. This is also one of my favorite tracks on the album and sums up the entire vibe very well, a fun yet epic adventure that deals with the terms of love, and destruction.
I take back the Queen comparison. Mercury and May never achieved such beauty as is the Exogenesis. Bellamy’s classic influences have always shown through with his cadences and this and that but never have I seen him as a composer worthy of history’s eye until I listened to "Overture", "Cross-Pollination", and "Redemption" through. Beauty, genius. An eclectic roller coaster of classic.
2009 is the Year of the Resistance.
- Nick
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