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Posted on 15th September 2009
Muse - The Resistance - Warner Bros, 2009 I didn’t even make it though the entire album. I had to quit around track 6; just before the needle on my disappoint-o-meter dipped past “I had to buy a car charger at Walmart because there wasn’t another store within 30 miles and my phone was dead”. Absolution really was a fantastically pleasing album. As pop-sensible as it was, you still got the sense that these boys could really play their instruments. And the words coming out of Matt Bellamy’s supercharged vocal chords were believable. As a contradiction, this new album has the depth and interestingness of Christian Rock. Which is an interesting strategy by the suits at Warner. “Let’s make a cross-over band, that moves from mainstream over to Bible Bookstores…just for fun!” Let’s just pretend this is what happened (because the truth would probably be much less interesting). In this “new reality”, I’m fine with record labels using bands to test new marketing schemes. I really don’t care…until, they start testing with bands I like(d). That’s bullshat. Go experiment with any of the other washed up talent you have on your roster, Warner Bros; but leave my Muse alone. Sure they are what Radiohead would have been, had Radiohead not written Ok Computer. And yes, some of their songs got annoying after a while. But that just means I needed to take a break. After 6 months or so, I would have enjoyed them again. You didn’t have to go make them crappy on purpose!! As you all hopefully know by now, I am a realist. So I can’t just let this review end without a nugget of truth. The new Muse album sucks, but they weren’t very good in the first place. Absolution was a fluke. A neural misfiring that worked in our favor. If a person or group of persons can’t write more than 10 good songs, then they plain and simple aren’t any good. Luck exists. Its real. Some combination of right elements gave Muse the fortitude and ability to give use a few good songs and now the fun is over. They have a contract to fulfill and can probably still make a few quid, so they’re going to stay in the game until it no longer makes financial sense. We can expect at least one or two more albums from the lads of Devon. But please don’t get your hopes up…lightening only strikes once.

Muse - The Resistance - Warner Bros, 2009

I didn’t even make it though the entire album. I had to quit around track 6; just before the needle on my disappoint-o-meter dipped past “I had to buy a car charger at Walmart because there wasn’t another store within 30 miles and my phone was dead”. Absolution really was a fantastically pleasing album. As pop-sensible as it was, you still got the sense that these boys could really play their instruments. And the words coming out of Matt Bellamy’s supercharged vocal chords were believable. As a contradiction, this new album has the depth and interestingness of Christian Rock. Which is an interesting strategy by the suits at Warner. “Let’s make a cross-over band, that moves from mainstream over to Bible Bookstores…just for fun!” Let’s just pretend this is what happened (because the truth would probably be much less interesting). In this “new reality”, I’m fine with record labels using bands to test new marketing schemes. I really don’t care…until, they start testing with bands I like(d). That’s bullshat. Go experiment with any of the other washed up talent you have on your roster, Warner Bros; but leave my Muse alone. Sure they are what Radiohead would have been, had Radiohead not written Ok Computer. And yes, some of their songs got annoying after a while. But that just means I needed to take a break. After 6 months or so, I would have enjoyed them again. You didn’t have to go make them crappy on purpose!! As you all hopefully know by now, I am a realist. So I can’t just let this review end without a nugget of truth. The new Muse album sucks, but they weren’t very good in the first place. Absolution was a fluke. A neural misfiring that worked in our favor. If a person or group of persons can’t write more than 10 good songs, then they plain and simple aren’t any good. Luck exists. Its real. Some combination of right elements gave Muse the fortitude and ability to give use a few good songs and now the fun is over. They have a contract to fulfill and can probably still make a few quid, so they’re going to stay in the game until it no longer makes financial sense. We can expect at least one or two more albums from the lads of Devon. But please don’t get your hopes up…lightening only strikes once.