Muse's 10th album, The Wow! Signal, opens with a choir chanting in Latin—'Sanctus! Dominus! Lucifer!'—over a cantering electronic bassline, frantic prog-metal arpeggios, and Matt Bellamy's emotive vocals. The track, The Dark Forest, exemplifies the band's signature bombast, blending hi-NRG rhythms with strings and distorted guitar.
A Return to Form After Faltering Albums
The album marks a departure from the band's previous two releases, which were met with lukewarm reception. 2018's Simulation Theory experimented with 80s pop and collaborations with Timbaland and Shellback, while 2022's Will of the People knowingly referenced earlier Muse songs. Critics and fans saw these as signs of a band struggling to find direction. However, The Wow! Signal returns to the florid sound of 2006's Black Holes and Revelations, updated with pop influences.
Lyrical Shift from Conspiracy to Extraterrestrials
Lyrically, the album focuses on extraterrestrial life, inspired by the 1977 Wow! signal detected from Sagittarius. This is a dial-down from earlier conspiracy-laden themes that attracted right-wing libertarians like Glenn Beck, who interpreted 2009's The Resistance as prophecy. The new album uses sci-fi as a metaphor for turbulent love, with lines like 'it's coming closer – quiet the cobra!' in a duet with Ellie Goulding.
Musical Highlights and Pop Influences
The music incorporates elements from Daft Punk's Discovery, notably on Nightshift Superstar, which features French disco influences. Guitar solos echo Aerodynamic, while Shimmering Scars could be a straightforward pop piano ballad if stripped of its orchestral flourishes. The album's melodic strength ensures that choruses stick long after the bombast fades.
Commitment to Preposterousness
While the constant high drama can be wearying, the band's unwavering commitment to their over-the-top style is admirable. As Alexis Petridis notes, 'If you wouldn't want to live there all the time, a visit is never boring.' The album balances stupendous silliness with surprising subtlety, proving Muse can still captivate.
