New Born Lee
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Posts posted by New Born Lee
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I'm convinced that most of the Facebook fans don't actively listen to music any more and are simply blindly nostalgic for an era of music that is gone and will never return in the same form. This is obvious to Muse and anyone who keeps up with current trends.
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The song is so good stylistically that I'm not really drawn to the lyrics.
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Why don't you just post a big sign at the top of the forum that will follow you as you scroll saying 'POSITIVE OPINIONS ONLY'
you can not like something and not be a troll or hater
What they're complaining about is not your opinions of the album, it's the insinuation that people don't actually like things they say they like. Judge the album all you like, but judge people and you'll get this reaction.
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My track-by-track review:
Algorithm - 7/10
I was happy with this start to the album because it displayed such commitment to the driving, retro 'outrun' sound that was promised by The Dark Side and the aesthetics. The ‘This means war’ bit and the overall theming of the song would sound clumsy on a concept album like Drones, but here it’s refreshingly free of context. It seems clear that Muse simply want to create an epic, paranoid song with synthwave aesthetics. It didn’t do much that blew me away, and it definitely feels more like an introduction to the album’s sound than an actual song at times, but as an opener it just sounds good.
The Dark Side – 8/10
The Dark Side remains just an incredibly solid, well-produced midtempo pop song. I think a little more could have been done with the solo. It’s a little too laid-back for me to love it, but it’s still a pleasure to listen to.
Pressure – 8/10
A fun pop rock song with a little of everything Muse do well. That catchy ‘pressure building’ into a mean, danceable riff. The sharp guitarwork on the track, and the tambourine and good ol’ Muse arpeggios keep up the pace so well. And y’know, even though Pressure is a song that’s almost antagonistic towards the fanbase, it’s really nice to get a song that sounds personal from Muse for once. At once, it’s like a condemnation of us and a love letter at the same time. It’s nice to know Matt cares. It genuinely does make me think better of the song.
Propaganda – 10/10
Modern, edgy and so well within Muse’s abilities, Propaganda is an excellent song. That chorus is both unashamedly catchy yet abrasive. It sits so well against the lilting, Princey verses that Matt pulls off so well. Then, just when you think the song is becoming one-note, and because no great Muse song is complete without a great big dollop of cheese, that slide guitar comes in and just WORKS somehow. It’s hilarious. But also genuinely good!
Break it to Me – 10/10
After Propaganda this song just made me so happy. Not only is this one great song after another, but it’s a song that shows Muse can still shock, that there’s more that they are capable of. Basically, they’re not done. I don’t recall ever hearing Matt sing like he does on the verses. The overall taut, bendy and eccentric sound of the song just keeps you guessing, and the Morello solo at the end brings that feel to a great climax. The little snaps of silence. The violin stings. And of course, a little bit of crooning. But just a little, as if to remind you it’s still Muse you’re listening to.
Something Human – 6/10
Okay, so yeah, it’s a bit wimpy. It’s a pure pop song with a tired old verse style, jangly guitar and hand claps. But I just can’t deny that it’s catchy. Despite myself, I kind of enjoy listening to it when it comes on. I’m far from hung up on the idea that Muse “should” make alternative rock and “shouldn’t” make pop music. I appreciate a good pop song. This is a decent one, if nothing else.
Thought Contagion – 3/10
I don’t quite have the hate for this song that I did when it came out, but it really hasn’t improved much at all in my esteem. It just seems like it’s going through the motions all the time. That lazy, haunted-house up-and-down riff. The millennial woahs. Muse generally sound like a parody of themselves, loaded with fake venom and cheese. The lyrics are so bad. That dreadful ‘Final Solution’ line, come on man.
Get Up and Fight – 5/10
The most confused song on the album. I think it’s slightly better than Blockades by virtue of being more memorable. The chorus is good, it has a lot of oomph instrumentally but Matt as a vocalist just can’t hold up to it. Awkwardly sitting between these choruses you’ve got a dance-track vocal loop and some rather pathetically lovelorn lyrics that, again, Matt just can’t deliver well. I listen to this and keep thinking MCR or even Weezer would do a better job of it by virtue of simply having more venom or energy to their vocal styles. Not to mention the whole thing just sticks out like a sore thumb on an album which had until this track been quite strong in terms of an overall sound palette.
Blockades – 5/10
I just generally have trouble recalling this song. It’s kinda trying to be an Absolution-era throwback and some sort of glam rock song too. The “Verb! Verb!” chorus just lacks ANY sort of bite. It fits well in the album aesthetically so it’s not unpleasant. A resounding meh.
Dig Down – 5/10
There ARE things that work about Dig Down. It’s pretty uncomplicated. I’m a fan of the big build up to the belted ‘dig down’ at the end, and the backing vocals work well. But it’s all pretty rote. About a minute in you get what the song is going for without being swept up by it at all. The whole inspiring message makes it feel like something cut from Drones that was replaced by Mercy, Revolt or Defector. It just doesn’t belong here. But at least we have that Jools Holland performance.
The Void – 7/10
By looping back around to that throbbing outrun-synth sound, The Void manages to save Simulation Theory a lot of its blushes. The ‘they’re wrong’ chorus is convincingly paranoid in that way Muse are good at, and again much like Algorithm it doesn’t feel poorly tied to an overall theme. It’s classy how it gets quite and segues into a piano theme at the end; that really shows how Muse’s style and talents can gel with and enhance this sound. It’s slow and not much of a blockbuster, and kinda has that one-note plodding problem that Algorithm has, but it’s a nice ending.
Overall – Decent to Strong 7. Tran-
This is Muse’s strongest offering in years, far better than both Drones and T2L, on par with or better than The Resistance. Muse said they went into writing song by song and avoided being tied to a strict concept, and that approach has really helped this album feel spontaneous and light while still delivering on Muse’s moody sound. Muse complement the synthy sound pretty well overall, but not completely sticking to it allowed them to create at least two amazing show-stoppers...and at a few really poor hangers-on. But that Muse have continued to experiment and find sounds that work for them just makes me happy.
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On my first couple of listens through I would look back at the tracklist and forget what this song sounded like. That says it all really.
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You reckon? Algorithm, TDS, Pressure, Propaganda, BITM, Blockades And The Void all have really high standard choruses imo
I would actually say the chorus is the only thing that works in this song. It's just resting on nothing and the song is really tonally weird.
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Every Muse album, even the ones that aren't so great, has been worth at least a song or two for me. This is that and a bit more for me, some really solid work done on this, so well done to them.
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Not ready to review or make a complete verdict yet. So far I'm quite certain it's better than the previous two albums. Muse sound much freer on this album, willing to experiment and make fun songs rather than being awkwardly tied to a concept.
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It's good. Feels like Muse's Bond song really, and the more I think about it that way the better it seems. The chorus works really well, sounds convincingly mean, but the verses threaten to be meandering like some Muse tracks tend to when Matt is wrapping his mouth around the lyrics. Oh, and it also sometimes just sounds like Muse found the Perturbator button in the studio and they're just sort of playing with it. Overall it works though.
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I want to like it but I just don't think Muse are pulling off this song. I think it's Matt mostly, he just kinda sounds wimpy with this subject matter. It sounds a lot like Danger Days MCR and I just listen to this wishing Gerard Way was grabbing this song by the balls. It's not bad but it's so iffy.
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Love this song. The riff and the solo are so nasty, and the half-spoken delivery reminds me of another good song - Deus Ex Machina by Pure Reason Revolution. Was so thrilled when I heard this after Propaganda.
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Brilliant song. Best on the album. That fucking slide guitar solo when it kicks down the door is hilariously amazing.
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I'm starting to think that the last chorus of this song could be left out.
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This Dig Down >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the original.
Though it is weird how Matt can't pronounce the 'g' in 'Dig'.
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A thicc boi.
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My god, Pressure actually made melon's Best Tracks Of The Week segment.
Is he alright? -
Okay, more or less decided that this is a hit. Well done Muse, two good songs in a row. Quietly looking forward to the album.
I like how, for a song called 'Pressure', it's a very agitated sort of song. The tambourine really works that vibe.
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Decent first impression. I get what people mean when they say it feels light, that might be what's missing for me too.
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Yo, Sunburn is pretty good. I forgot. I have also never noticed quite how Radiohead-y it is.
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Be sure to grab your balls when you try USofE, you can't hit the 'Eura-SIA's if you don't.
If you don't have balls find some.
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The chorus sounds like La Roux to me. Not complaining.
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First listen- great first impression. Sounds really solid.
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I'm impressed by the selection of Muse songs in the karaoke I went to in Japan recently.
I mean, they had Cave. Cave! How random.
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Oh wait, I forgot, it's Defector.
You can close the thread now.
Is he alright?
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I like how you skipped T2L completely.