Search - Muse :: Absolution

Yorke's evil twin

Robert Graves | Thompson Station, TN USA | 04/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've recently discovered this little-known UK band, Muse, and I'm blown away by almost every aspect of this release. The music is heavy alternative, but with a production and songwriting expertise that takes it all to a new area of exploration. The band's driving force is classically oriented progressions played by guitars, pianos, drums, and more guitars. All the while, Matt Bellamy bellows his amazing melodic impressions over the whole thing. Straight away, something needs to be addressed. This band and its singer, despite the nitpicking disclaimers other reviewers have tried to make, sounds remarkably similar to old Radiohead (The Bends, OK Computer in particular). Matt Bellamy, in fact, could be a stand-in on any Radiohead tour. I actually did research to see of Bellamy was really Thom Yorke masquerading in a front band. That's how much they sound alike, bottom line. You can try to compare and contrast abstract and subtle approaches to style that differ, but the reality is if someone would've told me this was an unreleased Radiohead record from 1997, I would've believed them, no questions asked. However, this isn't an entirely fair comparison. I also would've said of this fictional 1997 Radiohead release, "Wow, Thom's singing range has really expanded...and the music's gotten far more complex...and the production is more intense and intelligent than other Radiohead records..." That all means that Absolution actually blows by any early Radiohead comparisons that others would make. So what if Matt Bellamy sounds just like Thom Yorke? He sounds *better* than Tom Yorke. So what if the chord progressions are similar to OK Computer's monolithic vamp sections? Absolution's are far more accessible and integrated into the songs, rather than treated as special musical bridges (as in OK Computer). Bottom line there? They do Radiohead better than Radiohead, especially now, while Thom and the boys are off experimenting with German euro-trash techno, the stuff that Aphex Twin has been doing better than them for years. This is also an unfair comparison because Muse incorporates a far greater span of influence into their music than Radiohead (or any modern band trying to do this). I hear tons of Queen in their music, as well as hints of ELO, especially in the vocal arrangements. It's also evident that Bellamy has spent some time with the classical composers - Rachmaninoff, Puccini, Chopin for example. Their melodies permeate his writing - and I love every minute of it.The songs are all astounding. The melodies are haunting, the production fresh and very unique. My only complaint is that the sonics aren't particularly good. There are times where the mix is so huge and distorted that it's hard to even pick out what they are trying to do. At the same time, music like this sort of needs that to sound "right." These same songs recorded in pristine settings would probably sound far more stale than the raw genius portrayed on Absolution.Also recommended if you like this: Jump Little Children "Vertigo" and Sigur Ros "()""

Breathtaking......

Chris Ochman | Stafford, VA | 10/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, my story of falling in love with Muse is rather odd. A LONG time ago, I was randomly looking and listening to songs remixed by SoulWax. That was a LONG time ago. So I'm listening to my music, and suddenly, "Muscle Museum" came on. The remixed version. I was simply like...wow...that is REALLY good! Who IS this? Of course, it was just SoulWax...so I went online and looked for a song called Muscle Museum, I found Muse. Listened to some other songs by them, and went out promptly bought the album.



Simply put, this album blew me away. Some may say it sounds like Radiohead, and yes, it does, but not a LOT like Radiohead. Muse is very unique unto themselves and the singer's voice is amazing.



The album starts off with a short intro which runs into "Apocalypse Please" Beautiful piano underlying the rest of the music, sends shivers through my body. The singer's voice flies and runs over the song, very emotional, and you can just FEEL the music running through you.



Then you come to the song which they released, "Time is Running Out" One word. Wow.



I do have to say that I can't continuously listen to the album though. As much as I love it, I just cannot take the sheer emotion that the singer voice portrays, sending him really high up in the octaves.



This album is amazing...and I can guarantee you, that if you listen to "Time is Running Out" You'll be like..."I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT SONG!!!!" Every one of my friends that I have shown this song to have had that reaction.....*grins*



So go out and buy it! Now!"

Ah... closure at last.

Sara Amundson | Washington State | 03/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My best friend has been raving about Muse for what must be a year now. He heard them while on a business trip in Amsterdam, and while I never doubted for a second that they were as good as he enthusiastically claimed them to be, not having any readily available proof in the U.S. somehow lessened the impact of his praises. MP3s he supplied to me whetted my appetite, but even those couldn't provide a satisfyingly complete exposure to the music of Muse. So finally after much hunting, I have acquired an import of this album. (I could have ordered it from Amazon, of course, but I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the instant gratification that comes with finding an intensely-lusted after CD as a result of tireless store-combing.) And lemme tell ya, this album's introduction into my world has been so satisfying it borders on the bloody cathartic. This band, this CD, and--hell--this review are for all of the baffled and bereft, bag-holding Radiohead fans out there. This is for the conflicted, not the fanatical. This is for the enthusiasts who found the transition from OK Computer to Kid A an unexpected disappointment, like waking up one morning to discover that the adorable puppy you bought and bonded with has grown up to become a very tasty looking Belgian waffle or a state-of-the-art washing machine. You feel love for the puppy, and it's because of this now thoroughly confused but still-sincere devotion that you must acknowledge that the waffle smells delicious or that the washing machine is indeed quite remarkably sleek and efficient. Deep down, however, you can't lay to rest the confused thought, "But where is my dog? Wasn't this thing supposed to become a dog? Really, a dog was the next and most obvious step in the puppy-development process. I honestly thought I was going to get a canine companion out of this whole thing. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I kind of wanted, you know, a dog." Instead of a dog, you got a filling breakfast and something that washes your whites to blinding perfection; instead of the lush, dark, musically vital and rich follow-up to OK Computer, you got Kid A, Amnesiac, and Hail to the Thief. If this analogy actually makes sense to you, then you're one of my fellow dazed and confused compatriots. Musically this album has, to a significant extent, assuaged the sense of incompleteness that Radiohead left me feeling. Absolution has actually weighed down with goodies the empty bag Thom Yorke left me holding. I'm not saying that Muse is just an alternate dimension version of Radiohead, because they are quite clearly their own entity. Nor am I saying that their merit lies entirely in some similarity of sounds. Muse is Muse, and Muse is damn good. Radiohead still has its strengths, and Thom Yorke's excessive solemnity and need for profundity still earn a measure of my respect... but truly, on a basic and visceral level, Muse's music--and particularly this volume of it--give me a little, wild thrill of, "Yes! Yes! There you are! I knew you had to be somewhere, you rascally little puppy! I can't believe you were hiding behind that washing machine the entire time. Still, I'm so glad you're back--and, gosh, you must be hungry! Hey, do you want to split this waffle with me?""