Muse does not seem like the kind of band that would drastically change its style in any way. With each new album, it appeared that the band only had one major goal: rock out harder than it did the last time.
Leave it to lead singer Matt Bellamy and company to leave listeners scratching their heads with The Resistance.
Upon first listen, even the most hardcore Muse fans will be wondering what happened between this album and their last release, Black Holes and Revelations, that led the band to venture into new territory.
It is shocking to hear the band that made 'Knights of Cydonia' construct a song like the straight-up pop effort that is 'Undisclosed Desires,' but Muse makes the song work in some unimaginable way. Bellamy's voice is as striking as ever and although it is the only song on the album to venture into pop territory, it stands out as a successful experiment.
While many people unfairly compare Muse to Radiohead, there is an overarching influence of another band over The Resistance: Queen. Songs like 'Resistance' and 'United States of Eurasia' contain Bohemian Rhapsody-inspired backing vocals that seem to be a tribute to the classic rock band.
While the first half is decent, the album really picks up in the second half.
'Unnatural Selection' is seven minutes of hard rock with a slowed down interlude that blends beautifully with the rest of the song. Hearing Bellamy sing 'Counterbalance this commotion/ We're not droplets in the ocean,' serves as a reminder of why Muse is so distinctive – those lyrics would sound ridiculous coming out of any other singer's mouth.
'I Belong to You/Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix' is a standout track on the album.
'I can't find the words to say/ But they're overdue/ I've travelled half the world to say/ I belong to you,' Bellamy sings.
The album ends with a three-part symphony, which utilizes a full orchestra.
It used to be that Muse delivered music that any listener could understand upon initial listen. Either they were interested in the epic rock that Muse delivers so easily or they dismissed them as unoriginal and annoying.
With The Resistance, Muse asks the listener for repeated listens to even begin to understand what it is trying to do. The variety of the album makes it hard to pinpoint a general feeling and makes repeated listens not only necessary, but also a good time.
It's not as powerful as Muse's previous efforts, but perhaps this will change as the album reveals itself. Until then, it serves as an interesting turn from a band that never seemed like it would wander off its expected path.
E-mail: spectrum-arts@buffalo.edu
