Review by Conor Fynes — 'The 2nd Law' - Muse (6/10)
Believe me, I wanted to hate this album. I really did. After having heard the teaser
"Unsustainable" about a month back, I was left scratching my head, and certainly not
because it was too abstract for my plebeian musical tastes to process. As far as the single
was concerned, it sounded like Muse had dumbed down their symphonic edge to the point
where I could expect a bib and apron to come along with it. Adding insult to injury,
superfluous dubstep influences were rampant, offering the sonic equivalent of having my
brain fried in a saucepan. Considering that the other two singles ("Madness" and "Survival")
certainly weren't much better in the songwriting department, I was actually rather looking
forward to writing what I only imagined would be one of my most negative reviews yet. Of
course, as it turns out, I greatly overestimated the sort of emotion Muse's sixth album would
conjure in me. "The 2nd Law" is by no means excellent, but Muse's outrageous approach to
alternative rock is worth a certainly worth a spin, although the flash-over-substance dynamic
suggests that it won't remain a hot topic for long.
Going back a little ways, Muse were a big band for me in high school. Before I had really
opened myself to the 'modern' scene in progressive rock, Muse were there to offer a more
streamlined experience, while still managing to bring that sense of bombast and
arrangement. By the time "The Resistance" dropped and left me disappointed, I had
already moved onto different things. "The 2nd Law" perpetuates some of the negative traits I
saw in "The Resistance", but there is a greater sense of inventiveness to the music than
there was in 2010. Muse are still defined by a somewhat contrived combination of
symphonic music and angsty alternative rock, although I'd argue a lot of the depressive
feeling in their music has been rather diminished. In its stead, vocalist Matt Bellamy splits
his time between singing about personal topics and heavy-handed politik. As was even
moreso the case with "The Resistance", Bellamy's political material is cheesy and
ineffective, although his voice is as powerfully operatic as it's ever been.
Muse aren't necessarily expanding their boundaries on "The 2nd Law", although there's a
surprising variety to the sounds and styles heard here. Barring the tired Queen-isms and
shallow symphonic arrangements of the singles, Muse tend to incorporate these styles
well. "Supremacy" sounds like it could either be a national anthem or soundtrack to the next
James Bond film. "Panic Room" is the sort of dance-rock track I'd imagine gets played in
trendier London clubs. "Follow Me" throws out all sense of rock, focusing instead on vocally-
driven pop electronica, complete with the frustrating dubstep 'wub'. There are plenty of
experiments that don't work, although there are a couple of gems here. The atmospheric
"Animals" and the full fledged post-rocker "Save Me" are both excellent, and stand as being
two of the greatest tracks Muse have ever done. Particuarly on "Animals", the classically-
derived melodies do not feel forced in the slightest; they allow themselves to get a little wild
and even proggy without the overwhelming pretense that usually comes along with it.
Bellamy described "Explorers" as a collaboration between Louis Armstrong and Meatloaf
doing a post-metal track, and while I wouldn't say it quite matches the promise, it's an
interesting enough 'ballad' track, highlighting Bellamy's vocal skills. Speaking of vocals,
bassist Chris Wolstenholme offers his vocals on a couple of tracks, including "Save Me".
Although he's certainly not as distinctive as Bellamy, his no-nonsense approach is
refreshing, especially after the majority of the album has been spent digesting Matt's larger-
than-life performance.
Much like "The Resistance", things wrap up with a multi-track suite. This time around, it's
only a two-part composition, and in a sense, I believe it summarizes my opinions on the
album. The first half ("Unsustainable") is a sour hodge-podge that feels like Muse were
trying to force themselves to throw as much as they could into a short time, without the merit
or skill to justify it. Although the follow-up and closer does not particularly wow me, it
demonstrates that the band can exploit the rich sound of a string section properly. "The 2nd
Law" feels like a progressive rock album catered to the whim of the masses. It is filled with
surface complexity and surprises, and while these can be very enjoyable on the first few
times around, there isn't the sort of depth that will likely have me coming back for more in
the future. With each album, Muse have tried to outdo previous efforts in terms of bombast,
and in this respect, "The 2nd Law" certainly succeeds. There's obviously been a fortune
invested in it, but it's come to the point where the 'epic' quality is feeling more forced than
ever. It's not without merit, and it's certainly better than I thought it would be, but this
path Muse is taking with their music is, in a word, 'unsustainable.'