Barely three minutes into Muse’s 10th album, a choir appears—not really singing, but chanting in Latin, like something from the soundtrack of an occult horror movie. “Sanctus!” they cry. “Dominus!” And, of course, “Lucifer!”
The choir is harder to hear than you might expect, because they’re competing with everything else going on in the opening track, The Dark Forest: a galloping electronic bassline that sounds a lot like the hi-NRG records from mid-80s gay clubs; a string section sawing away frantically; a distorted electric guitar playing frantic prog-metal arpeggios; and frontman Matt Bellamy dramatically emoting through a chanson-like vocal melody. “Stars extinguish themselves in fear!” he sings. “We will all beg for extinction!”
This tells you a lot about Muse. Their fans will likely see this as proof that the band is back on track. Muse set themselves apart from the flood of post-OK Computer artists by simply turning everything up to 11. As their sound grew bombastic and melodramatic, their lyrics moved away from Radiohead-style existential angst and toward irrational conspiracy theories, vividly drawn dystopias, and apocalyptic themes. They sold millions of records, but as Bellamy recently admitted, their last two albums were seen by critics and fans as signs of a band losing its way. 2018’s Simulation Theory tried a new 80s pop-influenced direction, with collaborations with R&B producer Timbaland and Swedish pop master Shellback. 2022’s Will of the People was just strange—a collection of tracks that knowingly referenced earlier Muse songs, released instead of a greatest hits album.
One theory is that Muse stumbled because the world started catching up to them: lurid dystopian fantasies and irrational conspiracy theories are now mainstream. What’s more, it became clear that right-wing libertarians were taking some of Muse’s more over-the-top lyrical ideas seriously. Conservative crank Glenn Beck seemed to believe that 2009’s wake-up-sheeple concept album The Resistance was a prophecy, “dead-on about what’s coming our way.”
It says a lot about how intense things can get in Muse’s world that, lyrically, The Wow! Signal actually tones things down a bit. It’s mainly about the existence of aliens (the title refers to a 1977 incident where a radio telescope picked up a mysterious signal from the constellation Sagittarius), rather than the Thought Police or the Mind Virus. It’s still pretty over-the-top—this is an album where a duet with Ellie Goulding opens with the line “it’s coming closer – quiet the cobra!”—but maybe less likely to attract the most dangerous cranks, especially since it often seems to use the sci-fi stuff as a metaphor for a turbulent love affair.
The music, meanwhile, joyfully updates the ornate sound of 2006’s Black Holes and Revelations. Amid the massive riffs, Count Dracula-style organ, wailing guitar solos, prog-rock synth arpeggios, and Bellamy’s vocals—a man who never holds back—there’s a clear pop influence. Muse have clearly spent time with Daft Punk’s Discovery lately: Nightshift Superstar brings a distinct French disco feel into the mix, and some of the guitar playing seems to come from the same place as Discovery’s Aerodynamic. If you stripped away all the sonic clutter and maybe toned down the lyrics a bit—“all I ever dreamed of has fled to t”The stars!” – “Shimmering Scars” could easily work as a straightforward pop piano ballad, and a really great one at that.
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Muse review – sublimely ridiculous rock ‘n’ roll camp
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Of course, all the sonic fuss is kind of the point. It goes without saying that it can get a bit tiring, and there are moments where even Muse fans might want to hit pause and go lie down somewhere quiet—or at least somewhere where no one’s playing the organ like Count Dracula. But that happens less often than you’d expect, maybe because there’s something oddly down-to-earth at the heart of The Wow! Signal. Muse writes melodically strong songs that can handle whatever the arrangements throw at them. What sticks with you after “In Sickness You and I” ends isn’t the operatic backing vocals or the long, dramatic synth outro—it’s the chorus. Or maybe it’s because there’s something strangely admirable about how committed they are to their completely ridiculous act, refusing to give in to any idea of maturity or good taste, and instead going all in on their own world. You wouldn’t want to live there all the time, but a visit is never boring.
This week Alexis listened to:
Mitchum Yacoub – “When I’m With You” ft Divina
Beautiful, laid-back soul that draws from Latin America (the beat) and Lagos (the Afrobeat horns): perfect for the current weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Muse The Will of the People The questions are written in a natural conversational tone covering beginner and advanced angles
BeginnerLevel Questions
Q Who is Alexis Petridis and why should I care about his review
A Hes the chief music critic for The Guardian His Album of the Week picks are influential because they highlight what he thinks is the most important or interesting new release
Q What album is he reviewing here
A Hes reviewing Muses ninth studio album The Will of the People which came out in August 2022
Q Is this a positive or negative review
A Mostly positive but with big caveats Petridis calls it the Wow signal a fun chaotic mess thats entertaining even when its ridiculous He says its better than their recent dad rock albums
Q What does The Wow signal mean in the title
A Its a famous 1977 radio signal from space that looked like a potential alien message Petridis uses it as a metaphor the album is a strange attentiongrabbing burst of noise but youre not sure if its genius or just noise
Q Do I need to know Muses old music to understand the review
A No but it helps Petridis compares this album to their early work and their later dad rock phase
IntermediateLevel Questions
Q What is the main criticism Petridis has about the album
A He says the lyrics are absurd and laughable like a parody of a paranoid rock band He also notes that the band leans too hard on clichés
Q What does he praise about the album
A He loves the chaotic energy and genrehopping He highlights the gloriously unhinged title track and the wonky squelchy production He says its fun because its so overthetop
