"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Monday, May 19, 2014

Muse: Absolution (2003)

 
Of all the albums I own, it’s hard to beat Muse in terms of coolness factor.  This British alternative band creates some of the finest hooks I’ve ever heard, and I’ll confess to doing some incredibly nerdy vehicular rocking out at stop lights when I’m listening to Muse in the car.  I have four of their albums, and Absolution remains my favorite. 
 
Muse’s fourth studio release, Absolution offers up bombastic rock numbers that hit the listener like tidal waves.  Later albums experiment more with their style, but here, it’s just good old-fashioned alternative.  The riffs are grungy, the grooves are irresistible, and the bass lines recalibrate your heartbeat. 
 
“Time Is Running Out,” a single from this album, was my introduction to Muse.  I saw the music video on TV years ago, after my family first got cable and I spent many afternoons glued to Fuse (having quickly realized that MTV and VH1 weren’t places to go for music.)  The song’s driving beats and incredible bass line reeled me in, and I was immediately intrigued by Matt Bellamy’s emotive rock vocals.  It’s still a favorite of mine; the ramp up to the chorus is just divine.
 
When I got the CD, I discovered that “Time Is Running Out” is only one of the many excellent rock tunes on the album.  The guitar riffs in “Stockholm Syndrome” are relentless and dirty, and I dig the frantic energy of “The Smallprint.”  I’m also a huge fan of the final chorus in “Hysteria”:  “And I want you now - / I want you now. / I feel my heart implode. / And I’m breaking out, / Escaping now, / Feeling my faith erode.”  “Apocalypse Please” is a bit different in that its dominant instrument is the piano, but its rhythm is no less intense.
 
In general, I feel the slower, quieter songs aren’t as successful as the harder numbers.  These are the songs I’m most likely to skip, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing worthwhile here.  “Blackout” has some fantastic lyrics – I especially like “This love’s too good to last, / And I’m too old to dream” – and I like the dreaminess of “Sing for Absolution.”
 
I have enormous admiration for the melodies and instrumental work on this album, but I have to talk a little about the vocals as well.  I think Matt Bellamy’s voice is fairly unique.  He has a great rock sound, and emotionally, there’s an almost-reckless desperation to his singing that really pulls you in. 
 
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In other news, I was giving Brienne the side-eye for her treatment of Podrick on last night’s Game of Thrones.  I don’t mind her being a little standoffish and annoyed with him, since she didn’t want a squire in the first place, and Podrick’s employment with Tyrion obviously didn’t prepare him for serving Brienne.  However, he definitely has a point about keeping their mission discreet, and just because things worked out with Hotpie, that doesn’t mean he’s not right.  I didn’t like her smug “I’m sorry, you were saying?” look, and I hope her dismissal of this advice doesn’t come back to bite her; Brienne tends to get in trouble when she assumes other people’s integrity is as unimpeachable as hers.  I’m glad, though, that her begrudging respect for Podrick is growing, and I love that she’s listening to him and accepting his input on other matters.

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