Older bands can still surprise us. I’ve been listening to Muse since their debut, 1999’s Showbiz. That is still one of my favorite albums from them, along with 2003’s Absolution, 2006’s Blackholes and Revelations, and even 2022’s Will of the People. I’ve liked all their albums to a certain extent, though. Believe me when I say, however, that The Wow! Signal, released June 26th, is their best album in twenty years.
Yes, this shocked me, too. The Wow! Signal produces such a hypnotic haze, such an instantly alluring atmosphere, that it’s difficult to put it down, if you know what I mean. The band still consists of Matt Bellamy on vocals, guitar, keys, choir and string arrangements, and orchestrations; Dominic Howard on drums; and Chris Wolstenholme on bass. Dozens of people made this album, though, such as the Crouch End Festival Chorus choir and the London Metropolitan Orchestra, plus many backing singers. It’s truly a huge album.
The band has always played a progressive alternative rock. Sure, they’ve had “radio hits” through the years, but they’ve always offered music that is theatrical and complex. The older the band gets, the zanier the music gets, the more their Queen influence emerges. The Wow! Signal features some of their sassiest, most personality-driven music, and it is a sheer joy.
Now, I had to look up The Wow Signal because it basically slipped my mind from school days. It refers to a 72-second burst of radio activity recorded by the radio telescope at Ohio State University in 1977. Basically, it was an exceptional event that’s never been detected again, and the researcher wrote “Wow!” on the report. The album itself is influenced by Matt’s recent divorce and evokes feelings of being lost in new worlds, strange lands, and cosmic civilizations: of calling, mourning, and longing for your lost love from galaxies far away. It’s fascinating.
The album has ten tracks and runs about 45 minutes. I’d say that I prefer the first half somewhat, but the entire record is terrific. The first five tracks are an absolute masterclass. We get the choir vocals, orchestrations, and theater of “The Dark Forest”, a rip-roaring and cinematic tune that is simply stunning. We get the sass and disco of “Nightshift Superstar”, one of their grooviest songs in years. We get “Shimmering Scars”, probably my overall favorite, which is more of a slowburn, but it builds with keys and authentic heartbreak into something truly monumental. I absolutely adore the chorus, the emotions, the squirrely little melody that rises near the end.
Next comes “Cryogen”, a hard-rocking tune that has all the rhythm and flow of their older music, and the last minute is a razor-sharp instrumental with exceptional bass. Right after that comes the ballad, “Be With You”, which ends the first half with utter emotion, electronica, and even slight gothic feelings. It has such a tender and hooky chorus that I can’t stop singing it myself.
The second half is overall heavier than the first. “Hexagons” is a layered piece with lots of guitar and keyboard theatrics played against a cosmic atmosphere; it reminds me of their very early style where they made rock feel like classical music. “The Sickness in You & I” is another feisty song with some very heavy riffs and a strange upwards hook that is incredibly addictive. “Unravelling” has more heavy grooves and riffs and is simply fantastic. I love the injection of Blade Runner-style electronica.
The last two tracks are pretty memorable. “Hush” features singer Ellie Goulding on guest vocals, and the song itself has a shadowy demeanor and a burning guitar drive that I really like. The closer “Space Debris” is a deeply beautiful and authentic track. It’s clearly Matt mourning his lost love and it is incredibly moving. It’s something of a ballad, though accompanied by strings and drums, but it moves like a waltz of sadness and faraway places. It’s a perfect way to end such a high energy album.
Muse have really impressed me. The Wow! Signal is their best album in decades, and I can’t stop listening to it. Of course, it took Matt’s heartbreak to create such a masterpiece, but that’s how art goes, right? Everyone needs to hear this. It’s already moving up the ranks of my top albums this year.
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