Another review

Muse made a triumphant live comeback at Radio 1’s Big Weekend at (not unsurprisingly) the weekend and played tracks from their feverishly anticipated new album ‘Blackholes and Revelations.’ The playback for the new album took place last night and I was there to hear the songs that fans can expect to hear when Muse make a number of UK Festival appearances this summer – start getting excited now!

TAKE A BOW
Instantly dispelled any doubts that Muse would not be able to sound even bigger within seconds of beginning. An instantly grandiose song, the very definition of epic – like a more intense ‘Butterflies and Hurricanes’ - and arguably the greatest sing the band have ever written.

STARLIGHT
Driven by prominent interlocking bass and piano and giving way to rocky guitars and pounding drums – this songs is in the same mould as ‘Bliss’ and contains the words ‘Blackholes and Revelations’.

SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE
The single, which you may have heard by now, has surprised many people. It has a very dance-y, sexy feel to it and includes very high pitched vocals (that some people described as sounding a little like the Scissor Sisters.) Very Muse in places, very different in others.

MAP OF THE PROBLEMATIQUE
Fuelled by driving bass and pounding keys contrasted with some moody piano work. Someone sitting near me described it as ‘trance-y’

SOLDIER’S POEM
Another very different song and a stand out track. Opening with brushwork and a gentle vocal, this sounds very like it could be a Rufus Wainwright song. It has a very political slant including the line ‘there’s no justice in the war.’

INVINCIBLE
Marching drums and guitar histrionics open this track, which repeatedly contains the refrain ‘together we are invincible’. This gives way to powerful beats and a high pitched Matt Bellamy solo.

ASSASSIN
Definitely a stand out track. Eastern tinged guitar and frantic rhythms similar to System Of A Down, contains some excellent drum work from Dom Howard. Has an aggression, which befits the song title. Towards the end what sounds like a choir of multi-tracked Bellamy vocals is prominent – a typically unpredictable Muse experience!

EXO – POLITICS
Another stand out track opening with skeletal drumming and dirty guitar – this song has been aired on live shows in the U.S.

CITY OF DELUSION
Sounds like like Muse experimenting with Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’. The song is book ended by acoustic guitar work and has a very romantic feel to it, even contains a trumpet solo! Like Muse themselves, there are so many amazing ideas happening at once it is hard to keep up!

HOODOO
Another eastern flavoured track that descends into a riff similar to the music from the beginning of Pulp Fiction. Stark romantic vocals (which are very Buckley-esque in places) and strummed guitars lead up to some beautiful piano work and a crashing finale.

KNIGHTS OF CYDONIA
Just as there is an awesome show-stopping track to open the album, there is also one to close the album on an incredible high. A galloping introduction leads into this massive sounding track: it’s like a prog-rock spaghetti western/B-movie soundtrack and has more trumpet work – absolutely amazing!

This is an unbelievable album and with it Muse have done what looked impossible – growing even bigger and better. The band will be playing the Reading and Leeds Festivals – and those seeing them should be prepared to hear some mind-blowing new material.