MUSE - Drones

What are Muse today? The band that, better than any other, manages to single-handedly capture the attention of both diehard alternative fans and those who feed on a steady diet of mainstream music. The trouble is that pulling off that balancing act between the two tribes is anything but simple, and over the course of a career it usually only works out a couple of times.

The English trio, after their first two albums were showered with critical praise (their second, "Origin Of Symmetry", remains by far the best of their career), managed to pull off that miracle with "Absolution", which, while making a good chunk of their early fans turn up their noses, achieved the goal of winning over the wider public, massively expanding their fanbase.

The follow-up, "Black Holes And Revelations", pulled off the feat again, albeit with a slightly lower overall quality, before giving way to decidedly less inspired records, in which grandiosity and pop leanings got the better of Matt Bellamy's songwriting.

Despite a career path that's debatable in some respects, in 2015 Muse remain one of the few bands able to fill stadiums the world over, backed by flawless technique and a stockpile of hits that few of their contemporaries can boast today. The seventh album of their discography, "Drones", steers them back toward more strictly guitar-driven territory compared to the recent past, unleashing a sonic power that feels like a homecoming.

All of this had already been amply confirmed by the tracks circulated as previews a few weeks before the album's release, which let fans get a taste of the new material: songs that, while not exactly shining with originality (Muse did all this, and much better, years ago), are pleasant enough listening, and in terms of quality surpass the well-crafted but musically tired “The Resistance” and “The 2nd Law”.

“Drones” is presented as a concept album about the questionable policies, imposed by a hypothetical government, centered on brainwashing, the annihilation of the individual and the symbolic triumph of drones. In the trio's vision, this would trigger a rebellion capable of bringing disastrous consequences for the whole of humanity.

“Dead Inside”, with Bellamy's falsetto on full display, opens the proceedings without disgracing itself, a perfect trait d’union between rock and electronics; then there's room for the huge riffs of “Psycho” (yes, the intro is very reminiscent of “Personal Jesus”, and the lyrics certainly won't have us tearing our hair out, but the track works) and the U2-style drift of “Mercy”. “Reapers” puts the fingerpicking on display, just to remind us that these are people who know how to play their instruments, and the following “The Handler” keeps up the positive energy, dense with electricity.

The second half is on average less aggressive, lining up the forgettable “Defector”, the clever tricks of “Revolt”, the ballad “Aftermath”, the epic scope of “The Globalist” (over 10 minutes, confirming their taste for structured pieces) and the choral quality of the closing title track.

Keeping to the rhythm of an album every three years, Muse deliver a work that has the flavour of a tidy homework assignment, turned in by someone talented who knows they can get a passing grade without too much effort: no original ideas (the surprise electronics of the bland “Madness” was almost more striking than anything here), not even a single spark that makes you truly cry miracle (while we're still rubbing our eyes in disbelief at the umpteenth listen of “New Born” or “Plug In Baby”), everything seems (very well) engineered to shake the sold-out open-air crowds of next summer.

Whether they're a manufactured phenomenon or possessors of outstanding talent is something everyone can debate and draw their own conclusions on. Muse are probably the best contemporary synthesis of the two. The fact remains that “Drones”, all things considered, scrapes a passing grade. With effort, by the skin of its teeth, but it scrapes by.

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09/06/2015