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Anthony Fantano is an online music reviewer famous for his handle, theneedledrop. The self-proclaimed internet's busiest music nerd comes in with his review of The 2nd Law, marking the first review of a full Muse album and the second review of Muse in general. While Fantano gives off some valid points mixed with an opinion that does well in trying to be objective, there is also a lack of detailed descriptions and more extended opinions that are commonplace in his reviews. At times it even comes off as uninformed about some aspects of the album.

 

Overall I'd give the review a light to decent 6. So did everyone love it? Hate it? Why? And I'd rather not make a post like this again.

 

Kueller917, Anthony Fantano, Muse, The 2nd Law review... never again

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Anthony Fantano is an online music reviewer famous for his handle, theneedledrop. The self-proclaimed internet's busiest music nerd comes in with his review of The 2nd Law, marking the first review of a full Muse album and the second review of Muse in general. While Fantano gives off some valid points mixed with an opinion that does well in trying to be objective, there is also a lack of detailed descriptions and more extended opinions that are commonplace in his reviews. At times it even comes off as uninformed about some aspects of the album.

 

Overall I'd give the review a light to decent 6. So did everyone love it? Hate it? Why? And I'd rather not make a post like this again.

 

Kueller917, Anthony Fantano, Muse, The 2nd Law review... never again

 

:LOL: genius.

 

I'd give his review a strong 4, not too convinced on this one. There were some hooks, some few nice passages, but overall it felt a bit weak.

 

Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?

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Anthony Fantano is an online music reviewer famous for his handle, theneedledrop. The self-proclaimed internet's busiest music nerd comes in with his review of The 2nd Law, marking the first review of a full Muse album and the second review of Muse in general. While Fantano gives off some valid points mixed with an opinion that does well in trying to be objective, there is also a lack of detailed descriptions and more extended opinions that are commonplace in his reviews. At times it even comes off as uninformed about some aspects of the album.

 

Overall I'd give the review a light to decent 6. So did everyone love it? Hate it? Why? And I'd rather not make a post like this again.

 

Kueller917, Anthony Fantano, Muse, The 2nd Law review... never again

 

:LOL:

 

I'd probably give his review a 3. Some good points, but he struggled to validate a lot of his opinions, with the entire last section feeling rushed and his overall knowledge of the album seemed fleeting.

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I translated the review in Nyt magazine, the weekly suplement of Helsingin Sanomat which is the biggest newspaper in Finland. It was a bit tricky to translate and I'm not sure if I've used the right words. I hope you can understand the meaning anyway. Radiohead is mentioned, but somehow I don't mind it this time.

 

"AS BIG AS YOU CAN BE

 

Muse

The 2nd Law

 

The 2nd Law refers to the law of physics according to which a unit can no longer absorb energy and at the same time the unit's own energy level decreases. Though the metaphor most likely refers to the consumer culture, it also describes Muse perfectly: when the band stepped up to the stadium size, many critics started to whine that the band had lost its grip. So what does Muse do then?

 

It grows even bigger and gets absolutely whimsical. The album probably came into existence something like this: Queen slept with Radiohead. Radiohead used LSD during the pregnancy, so the child was born with an expanded mind. The child listened to David Bowie, Skrillex and U2, watched epic movies, read science journals and had a romance with a prog rock girl. Finally the child gathered all the influences and bursted them to the album.

 

The result is constantly surprising, ridiculously megalomaniacal space rock creation. Muse are acknowledging their absurdity and enjoying it. So joyful, with a twinkle in its eye the band's sixth album sounds. Now at the latest Muse blast themselves off of all the moderation and rationing.

 

4/5"

 

Yup, that pretty much sums it up :LOL:

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I translated the review in Nyt magazine, the weekly suplement of Helsingin Sanomat which is the biggest newspaper in Finland. It was a bit tricky to translate and I'm not sure if I've used the right words. I hope you can understand the meaning anyway. Radiohead is mentioned, but somehow I don't mind it this time.

 

"AS BIG AS YOU CAN BE

 

Muse

The 2nd Law

 

The 2nd Law refers to the law of physics according to which a unit can no longer absorb energy and at the same time the unit's own energy level decreases. Though the metaphor most likely refers to the consumer culture, it also describes Muse perfectly: when the band stepped up to the stadium size, many critics started to whine that the band had lost its grip. So what does Muse do then?

 

It grows even bigger and gets absolutely whimsical. The album probably came into existence something like this: Queen slept with Radiohead. Radiohead used LSD during the pregnancy, so the child was born with an expanded mind. The child listened to David Bowie, Skrillex and U2, watched epic movies, read science journals and had a romance with a prog rock girl. Finally the child gathered all the influences and bursted them to the album.

 

The result is constantly surprising, ridiculously megalomaniacal space rock creation. Muse are acknowledging their absurdity and enjoying it. So joyful, with a twinkle in its eye the band's sixth album sounds. Now at the latest Muse blast themselves off of all the moderation and rationing.

 

4/5"

 

Yup, that pretty much sums it up :LOL:

Nice review, I totally agree with it.

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A Major Letdown From Muse

 

2/5 stars

 

With a tendency towards the excessively dramatic, British progressive rock band Muse has been rocking the minds and airwaves of planet Earth since Showbiz debuted in 1999. With its unique and powerful formula, the trio has produced successful albums of symphonic drama and has drawn many comparisons to Queen, Rush and even early Radiohead. Each album it has produced has been bigger, better and more cosmic than the last, but its newest studio creation, The 2nd Law, seems to be a stagnation. Instead of hitting an intergalactic homerun and continuing their steady rise in popularity and stage presence, Muse seems to be riding the coattails of its recent successes and selling itself short.

 

The album takes its title from Newton’s second law of thermodynamics, which is referenced directly numerous times throughout the album. While this concept does help to unify the album and the band’s message, the combination of its musical style and the overtly scientific overtones of the lyrics lend a certain cheesiness to what could otherwise be really interest-ing music.

 

My first impression of the album was that it could be the soundtrack to almost any bad dystopian movie. Don’t get me wrong nothing— I love bad sci-fi, but the British computer voice reading the text of Newton’s law on both “The 2nd Law: Unsustainable,” and “The 2nd Law: The Isolated System,” sounds like part of the “Bill Nye the Science Guy” theme song, or a computer voiceover from the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.”

 

The root of the band’s issue may indeed be that its message of fighting against “the man” has grown stale. Is it irrelevant? In today’s world of almost constant revolt and revolution, that is an impossibility. But any band can only fall back on the same themes of rebellion and popular resentment so many times before it starts repeating itself. For a band that thrives on being over the top and progressive, these new tracks all sound like they have been done before.

 

When Muse found mainstream success with “Uprising” off their last album The Resistance, a broader audience started to take notice. Here is a band that was not afraid to be loud and dramatic and unapologetic. Just look at the music video for “Uprising.” Giant plush teddy bears grow monstrous fangs and start terrorizing a city while the band escapes via flatbed truck. It wasn’t even trying to be subtle, and the American and global public loved it.

 

But somehow none of the tracks on The 2nd Law seem to have the same appeal to a broad audience. This is not to say that the band makes no attempts at making changes or adapting to the times. In fact, the band has fully embraced the electronic subgenre dubstep, incorporating the heavy backbeats and bass drops into multiple tracks on the album. It is actually quite a good fit for the band musically, since neither Muse nor dubstep is particularly known for its subtlety.

 

The 2nd Law is not an entirely bad album by any stretch; lead singer Matt Belamy’s piercing and powerful vocals are still an amazing highlight and “Madness” and “Panic Station” are both catchy and enjoyable tracks, but two tracks and an awesome voice do not a successful album make.

 

http://www.thehoya.com/the-guide/a-major-letdown-from-muse-1.2919055#.UHDIxU3A9tw

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Anyone here familiar with how metacritic works? Before The 2nd Law was released metacritic had 3(or 4) other Muse albums displayed with ratings and a total average. But after the release of The 2nd Law the other Muse albums have mysteriously disappeared from the site. The reviews for the new album also seem to be currently stunted at 23 reviews...even though a ton of other reviews have been released.

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OMG, This is propably the worst review of them all. The only thing I am certain of is that the writer of this piece of sh*t has more of an obsession with Radiohead than Muse has ever had.

 

I didn't realize Spin was still around... but they were always like that.

Also, while I find a lot of influences on T2L, I didn't really feel Radiohead was one of them... Of course, I'm largely unfamiliar with their non-radio body of work.

 

When you're writing that negative of a review, however, I feel you want to avoid statements like this "If you're somehow so confused and psychically numb that you're too impaired to process the radical differences between falling in love and going nuts, then maybe lay off the anti-depressants."

This can easily be construed as 'never had a real human relationship' and give the anger you for some reason have against a band a completely different spin...

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A track by track review from three different reviewers in one article. It's pretty long, so I've spoilered it:

 

http://www.ppsf.co.uk/muse-the-2nd-law-this-is-trinal-tap/

 

The preliminaries for a new Muse album tend to involve Matt Bellamy announcing another major stylistic departure from the band’s previous offering(s). He went all out this time claiming ‘The 2nd Law’ would be a “Christian gangsta-rap jazz odyssey, with some ambient rebellious dubstep and face-melting metal flamenco cowboy psychedelia”. It doesn’t take a savant to realise that he’s extracting the Michael but the weird thing is, he couldn’t have put it any more befittingly. Given the sheer magnitude of the band, we felt it our duty to scrutinize the album from all fronts. What better than to unleash the unlikely troika of Howard Gorman, Jake Taylor and Andy D Chambers on the case? Here’s what they made of ‘The 2nd Law’, track by track:

 

Pt 1

 

Howard – As soon as I hit play for the record dubbed to be Muse’s dubstep offering, I was taken aback as the first song, Supremacy, has no, well, no dubstep. I thought Adele was doing the new Skyfall theme! This song would fit the bill perfectly. Having just heard Adele’s song this morning, why on earth were Muse not picked up for that? Adele’s actually sounds like a Muse song more than a Bond song, particulary the intro piano tinkerings.

 

Oh, hang on a minute. It sounds like they’ve gone all Olympics again now. Those drum beats take me back to Torvill and Dean’s Olympic Gold ‘Boléro’ routine. It still definitely sounds very Bond though. The background strings sound devilishly similar to the 007 theme we all love. It’s a bizarre stew, but I really like it. The chorus kind of harks back to their ‘Showbiz’ days and it really gets you into the mood for a brand new Muse LP. The final guitar jam and thumping drums are great, ending with a super secret agent style guitar strum.

 

Andy – you need to forget about the Olympics. They’re over! I agree, it has a ‘Showbiz’ feel to it. If guitar riffs were pornography…my cock would look a pepperami. Have I gone too far again? Ah well…great little track, bizarre mix of madness.

 

Jake – Yeah. It is all very Bond but, like you say, it’s an epic start. It’s ‘Madness’ they didn’t use it for Skyfall. Which brings us to the next track.

 

Howard – Yep. The second track is that ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-madness song that’s already nestled in everyone’s brain by now so I don’t need to say much here. What I can say is that there is something unique and tranquilizing about Matt’s voice that makes this song so special. Dare I say this is the best vocal performance he’s put in so far in their career?

 

Sure, the dubstep gives a new, unconventional side we haven’t seen from the band but I don’t think that’s what makes this song so singular. It’s his voice combined with the gradual build up of additional layers of instruments (particularly that jaunty guitar accompaniment), ending in the characteristic Muse break out at the end. Love it.

 

Jake – It’s madness in the loose sense of the word. The hook is consistent throughout, but it’s pretty soft generally. It’s got a groove to it, which I love. Not too much contrast between light and dark, but the odd harmony or experimental touch here and there. It keeps you paying attention, and of course it’s got touches of dubstep, and a large smattering of Queen influences, but that’s been said before. I’m not original for saying that but I may be for saying this: I think it’s a bit too long for radio as it stands. Is there a radio edit?

 

Andy: Whenever I think of old Muse, the word that comes into my head is infectious. That’s all I’m saying on this one. Vintage stuff, with a twist.

 

Howard – I hate comparing bands to others when listening to songs but it’s only natural and just because I do so doesn’t mean I don’t like it. Quite the opposite.

 

As soon as ‘Panic Station’ came on the bass and drum lines had me singing “Another One Bites the Dust”. It really is that similar, but then Muse give it their twist once Matt makes an entrance. There is a very catchy brass ensemble and you can really tell that the band worked with some of Stevie Wonder’s Superstitious era musicians here.

 

Matt’s guitar riff on this one would have fit very snugly on Absolution. It’s a wicked track and doesn’t surprise me that this is going to be the next single. Even my three year old son dances around to it in front of the mirror.

 

Muse have described the song as “demented 80′s elements such as backwards ‘Let’s Dance’ drumbeats and riffs reminiscent of INXS’ ‘Suicide Blonde’”. I don’t quite see it myself.

 

Jake – Oh my God. I LOVE this track!!! It’s amazing. It has so many components: funk aspects with the guitar, a catchy bass-line, a brass section which paints a big band image. If they gig this album in an arena tour, I’d go just to dance to this song after a few beers!

 

Andy: I hate bands comparing themselves to David Bowie. It’s arrogant and annoying, considering he invented music…true story. On the other hand, I do love the 80′s sound. It’s such a head fuck this song. The first time I listened to it; I was determined to hate it. Unfortunately it’s festered in my veins.

 

Howard – Right, Next up is ‘Prelude/Survival’. The Prelude isn’t really anything much to write home about. It’s kind of just a build up to Survival. I’m sorry to say this but I just never liked this Olympic track. It never seems to go anywhere specific. I do like the Queen-esque riff though but I think they kind of overdid it with their hat tipping, as good as it all sounds.

 

Jake – I have to disagree with you there Howard. Survival is an amazing track, and the prelude is so majestic and ethereal. It has a string section, and an orchestra. If they remade ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and didn’t use this song, I’d be complaining to someone!

 

Andy: I agree with Jake, the prelude is great; it’s hauntingly beautiful. Once again Howard…you need to let the Olympics go man! As Garth said in Wayne’s World “Live in the now!”.

 

I love the lyrics in ‘Survival’. Once again it’s Bellamy back to his best. Let’s face it, the last album was shite. So far this has already topped it.

 

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Pt 2

 

 

 

Howard – I was eager to hear the next song, ‘Follow Me’, as Matt said it was written about his newborn son, Bingham. Well it’s back to some classic sounding Muse here. This sounds like the rock orgy hybrid sex-child of Butterflies and Hurricanes and Bliss, especially those swirling keyboards in the background. I wasn’t sure at first about this one but as soon as the bass drum kicked in it had me hooked in. Would you hate me if I said if has a Cher flavour to it when the chorus kicks in (her disco era). Maybe that’s just me, but it definitely has a dancey feel to it. I’d say prepare yourselves for an avalanche of remixes of this one.

 

Jake – Yeah. There is definitely a unique feel to it, even though the electro aspects really remind me of early Muse. And then it kicks in with the dubstep ‘wobbles’ and you remember you are listening to their latest album.

 

Andy: Bloody dubstep. What are they playing at? I know what you mean Howard. I’m dreading the inevitable club remixes, but then…is this any better? As good a sound as early Muse, except for the wobbles.

 

Howard – What about ‘Animals’? Way back when Muse released their debut, they got a lot of bad press for being a Radiohead effigy. It’s been a while since I ever thought they sounded like Radiohead but this track has a very Paranoid Android/Kid A feel to it. I say that, but Matt’s voice no longer sounds like Mr. Yorke and the fiddly arpeggio guitar patterns sound amazing.

 

Once again, Muse wrap it up as only Muse could do with a meaty riff, reinforced with Dom’s thumping drum beats.

 

Jake – Yep. ‘Animals’ definitely has touches of Radiohead in it. It’s very calming and experimental, as is ‘Explorers’. There are a lot of orchestral tracks on the album. I’m not sure it needed as many as it has, but it definitely fits with the style of the album. I wonder what direction they will take next…

 

Andy – This is probably my favourite track on the album. You’re right, it does have a Kid A feel to it. Not necessarily a bad thing though. I think it’s hard to know what they’ll do after this. This will probably be their last great track. That makes me sad.

 

Howard – ‘Explorers’ sets sail with a lullaby rendition! I can imagine Matt singing this one to Bingham. I love the sound of those strings in the background. It also has a bit of a Radiohead “No Surprises” feel to it. Once the drums kick in it just gets better and better. Strange choice to put this song in the middle, especially ending with “Go to sleep”.

 

Jake – Yeah, it is odd to end with those lyrics, but, if you go straight on to ‘Big Freeze’ it has a ‘fresh start’ feeling to it, so maybe their intent was for the album to play it in two separate parts. Kind of like a play with acts, what you do reckon?

 

Andy- How lucky is Bingham? My Dad used to be a bus driver. There’s only one nursery rhyme he knew…Again, it’s grown on me. It seemed a bit forgettable when I first listened. One of those tracks I could easily have on in the background though. Very pleasant, but is this the point of Muse?

 

Howard – ‘Big Freeze’ is a great track too. The jangly guitars definitely remind me of U2. The fleeting gunfire drums in the chorus are a great addition. Good old Matt’s screeching guitars come back into action here.

 

Andy – Yeah, very much modeled on U2. Is it a tribute or statement that they took the mantle of world’s biggest band from them long ago? Either way, I’m not a big of U2, and this track shows that Muse can be better at being U2 than U2. Neither scenario impresses me a great deal.

 

Jake - Big Freeze’ sounds a bit like a La Roux B-side, musically.

 

Howard – On ‘Save Me’ Chris takes over vocal duties for a couple of songs to relate his struggle with alcoholism. As soon as this song started I thought Ian Brown for some reason, but not quite so husky. It definitely has a bit of a baggy Madchester feel to it. Is it just me or does it get a bit stale after a while?

 

Andy – I agree. Although the album is half decent, this is where it started to lose what steam it had left. It’s unrecognizable as a Muse song. Fair enough, it’s more to make a point than anything else; but are we supposed to care more about the sentiment than the music? This track is as stale as my love life.

 

Jake – This has a very familiar feel to me, but I’m not sure why. I mean, the starting feels like it’s painting the image of a passage through time, or like a boring montage, even though it’s nice. Very calming. It has a rejuvenated feel about bit.

 

Howard – Moving on to ‘LiquidState’. Right, this sounds more like it. It has one of the heaviest riffs on the album and Skunk Anansie should take note as this is what their new album should have sounded like. Chris’ Ian Brown/Feeder vocals don’t quite seem to do justice to this one though. I can’t help feeling that Matt would have made more out of this. I guess Chris wanted to express his struggle verbally but I’m not too keen on his vocals.

 

Andy – Thanks for referencing my Skunk review there! Again, get Matt back on the mic. He would have torn this one to pieces. Can you imagine Chris doing this or ‘Save Me’ on tour? Buzzkill. It’s much heavier but the vocals are truly disappointing, but then, we’re mostly treated to Matt, so are we spoiled?

 

Jake – As a fan of heavy music, I’m a fan of this track. But again it’s reminiscent of something I can’t quite put my finger on. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d have found out it was a ‘Fightstar’ cover. A good band, if you can scrub the memory of Busted from your mind (wire brush and Dettol anyone?).

 

Howard – The last two tracks deviate completely from anything on the album so far. ‘The 2nd Law – Unsustainable’ starts off like a soundtrack to an action movie or a video game. Something like ‘Uncharted’. Mmm, what’s that? Did they hire Metal Mickey to do the vocals? I’m not so keen on the guitar sounds here although the orchestration is amazing. It’s definitely Skrillex inspired, you can tell that. It also brought me memories of some of PWEI’s later more techno inspired stuff.

 

Andy – Agreed. Skrillex and dubstep…a bit of a throwback to ‘The Resistance’ sound. Honestly, I don’t mind dubstep, but by this point in the album I’m a little bored, but then, I really didn’t like ‘The Resistance’. Maybe I’m just bitter… No, I’m bored. I can see they’ve tried something new, but it hasn’t captured my interest a great deal.

 

Jake – I remember this being the first track I heard from the album, and just loving it. Dubstep is still a baby genre really, so any experimentation with it is only welcome. I like that they have created a hybrid of dubstep and rock, I think it works. It’s not really a song in my mind though. I wouldn’t dance to it. It’s more a collection of sounds.

 

Howard – Final track ‘The 2nd Law – Isolated System’ has a promising start. It reminds me of The Exorcist theme. What is for sure is that Muse are going to get asked to do loads of movie tracks, if they haven’t already. The PWEI/Clint Mansell touch is apparent here too. I really like the sound although it does get a bit repetitive. If it had been the soundtrack to a film it would have been perfect but I think it could have done with a few more changes in tempo or something to add a bit more flavour to it. That may just be me though. This is more of an easy listening track. I like stuff I can sing along to. Sadly, I have to say the album has a poor ending to a solid first 8 tracks.

 

Andy – Howard, every song reminds you of a soundtrack, and I can’t stop thinking of it now! It’s like when someone points out a flickering bulb that you hadn’t noticed, then it’s all you can see! Anyway…I think this is a poor way to wrap up the album. I enjoyed the first half of the album, despite my initial protests, but it went downhill quickly. It’s bland, repetitive and I can’t wait for it to finish so I can play the first half of the album again.

 

Jake – To be honest, the album didn’t need this track. Unsustainable would have been a nice close to an amazing album. This track for me doesn’t detract, but it doesn’t add anything. I reckon if I was to listen to this in my car (which I don’t have, but humour me!) I’d switch CD’s before I had to listen to this.

 

Howard’s final verdict: 6/10. The album really got off to a great start for me with ‘Madness’ and ‘Panic Station’ being some of the best tracks they’ve recorded to date but the last few songs just left me apathetic.

 

Andy’s final verdict: 6/10. A great deal better than ‘The Resistance’, though that’s not saying much. Experimental and intelligent, but very much without for large parts.

 

Jake’s final verdict: 8/10. All in all, this is one of if not the best album I have heard this year. Just when I was losing hope. There’s nothing wrong with being mainstream.

 

Mean score: 6.6666666666666666666666666666666666666666667

 

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Anyone here familiar with how metacritic works? Before The 2nd Law was released metacritic had 3(or 4) other Muse albums displayed with ratings and a total average. But after the release of The 2nd Law the other Muse albums have mysteriously disappeared from the site. The reviews for the new album also seem to be currently stunted at 23 reviews...even though a ton of other reviews have been released.

 

I noticed that the other day ago - the other album reviews are still there, but you have to do an album title search to find them.. kind of annoying.

 

Also kind of annoying that 2nd Law is down to 68. I definitely think it's their best album since Absolution, so to see it be rated the WORST on that site is pretty upsetting.

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A suicide note in recorded form or a piece of genius that reveals itself on repeated listens? Read our review and you make the judgement?! http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2012/10/09/muse-the-2nd-law/

 

"Happy humans should never ever write music. [ ]. You need some sort of longing, of restlessness to be meaningful, to be a lifeline, to leave a trace when the lights in the big impressive stadium have gone out."

 

Between that and the title, whoever this person is should just go back to cutting themselves in their bedroom... Not deep enough to be dangerous, or indicate a true need for help, just enough that people notice, and feel oh so sorry for them.

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^^^And my review of this asshat's review is a 1 out of 10. It's not even a review, FFS. He says next to nothing about the actual songs. He just insults the band -- and his insults are idiotic as well. Trying to compare Muse to Radiohead after OoS is moronic. And this asswipe writes for SPIN? He must give good blowjobs. How TF else could he have gotten a job there? :LOL:

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http://blindedbysound.com/post/viewpost/review-muse-the-2nd-law

 

For English rockers Muse, the approach to their sixth studio album was one of letting go of expectations. The 2nd Law, recorded with few constrictions at Air in London, follows on the heels of a world tour and really could be christened The Kitchen Sink.

 

The Devon-born band has come a long way since the Gothic Plague/Fixed Penalty/Rocket Baby Dolls days, of course, and The 2nd Law perhaps is their bravest step forward yet. Because its relatively frisky spirit, the record has a looser feel overall and the band’s lack of restraint has a place to park.

 

“There’s an eccentricity to the album which makes it fun,” says frontman Matthew Bellamy. “I don’t think it’s taking itself too seriously even though some of the lyrics are…I’d go so far as to say we had a bit of a laugh making this album…The spirits were up, more so than on any previous Muse album, that’s for sure.”

 

That the first track, “Supremacy,” sounds like it should be the next 007 theme song is no coincidence. Bellamy’s love of the cinematic is all over the new record, peppered with dramatic strings and Dominic Howard’s trouncing drums. After a storm of audacious sound, the singer steps under the spotlight as the golden ladies romp and wriggle.

 

From there, Muse builds in another direction with “Madness.” The second single from The 2nd Law is basic 12-bar blues by way of U2’s “Sweetest Thing” and some killer harmonies that feature Bellamy’s flagrant falsetto.

 

Perhaps the best track is “Panic Station,” a wild potboiler that stuffs Stevie Wonder, INXS and Queen in a blender. Featuring a load of Chicago-based horns, the “Superstition” sense is no accident but it’s hard not to get wrapped up in the funk.

 

Bassist Christopher Wolstenholme pens two tracks (“Save Me” and “Liquid State”), while Bellamy’s fondness for the symphonic still gets a workout on the concluding suite. And the Queen-inspired rock opera “Survival,” selected as the official song of the 2012 London Olympics, is presented in all its campy brilliance.

 

Muse isn’t the most original band in the world, but there’s little doubting the fact that their sampling of stimuli works at full effect with this album. The 2nd Law may duplicate U2 (“Big Freeze”) and Radiohead (“Explorers”) brazenly, but something about this pitiless potion still rocks.

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