They Evolve But Don't Revolve (Origin Of Symmetry - Muse)

Member Name: lilmsnaughty79

Product:	Origin Of Symmetry - Muse
Date:	23/03/09 (231 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very Powerful Music, Emotional

Disadvantages: A Few Weak Links

They Evolve But Don't Revolve
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Muse are a band that has up to now passed me by, I've liked a number of their singles but have only skimmed through their Absolution album and thought it was ok but a little hit and miss.

I'd read that Origin of Symmetry is their best work so I gave it a try. At first I was under whelmed, a few of the tracks sounded familiar but it seemed all over the place. The often high pitch vocals didn't strike a chord, excuse the pun.

I gave it a few more listens and found that I was falling for a number of the tracks, the high pitched vocals started to make sense. I think the problem I had initially was that I wasn't expecting what I was hearing, probably because of hearing their more recent work.

Now I've got used to the album there is a word that springs to mind on almost every track and that word is epic. Almost every song is full on and in your face. That's not to say they're not a thing of beauty. Everything is skilfully constructed to build emotion, and boy does it do that. This is where vocalist Matthew Ballamy's high pitched vocals can pull of something that most cannot.

I find a lot of the tracks have a habbit of lodging themselves in my brain and not wanting to let go, they just keep going around. This is rare for me and a sign that the music has had an effect on me. I have found it to be a highly addictive album.

Opener "New Born" starts off so beautifully then almost out of nowhere all hell lets loose, but it never goes out of control. It is a great scene setter for what is to come. "Bliss" is pure raw edged beauty, very catchy and a fantastic guitar riff driving it along. It's short but perfectly formed. "Space Dementia" takes a bit of getting used to, especially the unusual chorus that reminds me of Pink Floyd a little.

Now onto some low points, I'm afraid to say there are a few here which is a shame as it could have been a five star otherwise. The track "Feeling Good" is a cover of a Nina Simone song and in my book cover versions unless extremely well done are a cardinal sin. A band like Muse with such originality shouldn't need to do it. The track "Micro Cuts" really takes the high pitched singing too far, right from the start and all through the track and it really grates. We know he can sing high, there's no need for him to prove it again on this track so much.

Muse are often compared to Radiohead, a band I have never been able to get on with. The only reason for that comparison I can see is because they are dark, sometimes very dark. I like dark but Radiohead were dark with a large dose of melancholy thrown in. Muse are dark but never or at least rarely so gloomy.

Summing up, it took a little time but with the exception of a few tracks I love this album. I would suggest new listeners to give Origin of Symmetry a chance, if you don't like it at first then persevere. I found that it is now one of my favourite albums after what I first thought was vastly overrated. I think it is at least on a par with Absolution and in terms of raw power is better.

Recommended.

Track Listing
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1. New Born (6:03)
2. Bliss (4:12)
3. Space Dementia (6:20)
4. Hyper Music (3:21)
5. Plug In Baby (3:38)
6. Citizen Erased (7:21)
7. Micro Cuts (3:38)
8. Screenager (4:20)
9. Dark Shines (4:46)
10. Feeling Good (3:18)
11. Megalomania (4:39)

Summary: A Brilliant Album