Album: Muse- The Resistance

Can I go this whole blog without mentioning sci-fi, space or prog? YES! Starting... from... now!
I used to LOVE Muse. I went to see them on my 21st birthday when their first album was out (that dates me!) And I have enough Muse b-sides to cause havoc whilst moving house. It's weird how your CD collection ages you so completely. The only new CDs I have are Bright Eyes and Moz (so youthful!)
So, Muse. Showbiz is a great album and Newborn and Plug in Baby are classics. I even like Thoughts of a Dying Atheist. I went off them around the time they released that one that sounded like Prince. The album Supermassive Black Hole was supermassively self indulgent and Knights of Cydonia can fuck off. Now I do find them quite tedious. I admire their live shows, and I admire the fact they've created a big old niche for themselves, especially in the face of the abuse they used to get from that old relic the NME (but then the NME hates all the greats- Brian, Mozzy, Patrick Wolf, Kele). Even talking about the NME is dating me.
Anyway, I couldn't listen to a whole album these days. Well, I'm going to now, but I'm going to damn well moan about it, I expect.
The first song Uprising is the usual geek-rock schtick, radio-friendly and catchy but quite disposable. Ooh I quite like Resistance, it's a bit Time is Running Out-ey. I could see them releasing this one. Poppy love song with cheesy backing vocals.
I saw Undisclosed Desires (bad title) on Jules Holland and didn't like it much but his voice sounds better on the record (record! LOL) Did he say something about booty? I like the drum machine. This is pretty good. I must say, I've been pleasantly surprised so far.
UH-OH. They've dug up Freddie Mercury for United States of Eurasia (what a name). Am I allowed to say 'pomp'? Oh christ, this is everything I hate about Muse, this is music for virgins. Come on Matt, give us a break, you must be off the magic mushy's by now. The end of this song is worse than the beginning, it's like a pretentious piano-ey bit. ARGH. Next!
Guiding Light. Isn't that an Ash song? Ah, Ash. They did have just the one good song, wasn't it.
This sounds like the national anthem in the future (mentions of the future- check!) when Matt Bellamy rules the world. That guitar is straight from Justin Hawkins. Bit rubbish.
Am I only halfway through? See, this is the problem with Muse these days! Still, it's more interesting than the Monsters of Folk review... right?
Unnatural Selection is employing the vocoder/ cardboard box vocal technique. Oh god, it's gone national anthemy again. I can see fists being punched in the air. By virgins. This one went on for so long I forgot I was listening to it and started daydreaming. And I still skipped two minutes at the end.
MK Ultra makes me think of Mark One. Have you been in Mark One lately? There's one on Holloway road, honestly, the clothes make New Look look like Vivienne Westwood. I don't think they'd survive the journey home, let alone a wash. Not that you'd buy them. Lord, no.
The lyrics said something along the lines of 'how much more can you take?' and the answer is not much more. At the moment my tip is just download the first three tracks, and be on your way.
I Belong To You has something in French after the title, always a worry (except Protege Moi by Placebo which is fucking mega). This has got a kind of squidgy computer game feel to it. I've lost the will to live now, though. Uh-oh, here comes the French bit. Oh God, it's REALLY bad. Is it OK to vomit?
Oh Christ, the final three tracks are called (brace yourself) Exogenesis Symphony Parts 1, 2 & 3. Pretentious? How dare you. I did listen to them, so you don't have to. God, and I used to think Citizen Erased was a bit over the top.
Right, I'm off to reconsider Monsters of Folk (not really, the only album you or I need this year is BATTLE FOR THE SUN, by king of the bi's, Brian Molko. You know it makes sense).
NB: Heat gave Peter Andre's lyrical masterpiece Revelation one star more than it gave this album by Muse. So buy carefully, people. You don't want to be sat down ready to be emotionally moved by the song about how Peter can't give Harvey a cud no more and find yourself in the Time Warp.