(Track from album, “The 2nd Law”)
This song has very much upset the Muse crowd. I'm not talking about the minuscule, less-than-100 in number basement following of an indie band here - I'm referring to the throng of die-hard alternate/synth/electro/stadium/avent-garde/nouveau-rockers who have only come to represent such a giant, music loving collective as a result of Muse's famous, one-of-a-kind sound and presence on the world music stage.
To give that some context, "The 2nd Law", their latest album, charted at #1 and #2 in every country it was released in, other than Mexico and Japan, where it peaked at #3 and #5, respectively. Muse are clearly held with massively high regard on what appears to be, a global scale.
And why the hell not? This band has, pretty much, single handedly revolutionised the boundaries of previously available music production and crossed into new territory with their take on the rock sonic. Their incredibly inventive journeys into the wide range of genres available to music listeners has been diverse and incredible to watch, so why then has a flirtatious 3-and-a-bit minute stab at dubstep caused such offence?
Personally, I admire Muse's total self-indulgence. It isn't like Radiohead's in it's total and utter ignorance of public opinion, or indeed the cutting judgement of the fans. Muse have responded positively to criticism over the years, changing the sound when it wasn't well received, and changing it when it was to keep things interesting and artistic.
The track opens with an atmospheric collection of noises, before diving into a deep, synthesised chorus of strings and deep orchestral resonation within the first 20 seconds, escalating to a fantastic crescendo of classically composed pop perfection before the 1 minute mark. The newsreader's voice enters, describing the economy model based on endless growth, before labelling it 'unsustainable', at which point, the voice distorts, and the drop begins. After about 30 seconds, the guitar special effects continue with the orchestra layered over the top, and Bellamy's vocal begins around 2:30, ending before 3 minutes. The second drop sounds, finishes, and the track closes.
"The 2nd Law: Unsustainable" is the band's attempt at joining (albeit, from a distance, instrumentally) the recent dance music phenomenon that is dubstep, and, to be honest, it's stayed more true to rock than Muse fans will admit. Matt Bellamy even plays the 'drop' section on a guitar. Yes, ok, a modified one, but it's technically just the return of analog synthetic music for the first time in 20-odd years, just with a crisper sound. Heck, the band must have worried about betraying rock themselves to have left the chugging guitar chords in there after the first 'drop' finishes at 1:59. There's even a totally classic Muse synthesis of classical, stringed instruments in there.
And still Muse fans say it's a betrayal, which is an ironic statement to make when, instrumentally, this could be no other band. Frankly, it's dubstep fans who should be upset here - this isn't even dubstep! It's far too light, and way too rock orientated to be classed with the proper Skrillex mixes, and sounds more like a heavyily remixed "Knights Of Cydonia" rather than Muse does "Bangarang".
I do have one criticism personally; the newsreader's speech is too polished. You can tell it's fake, and it would have been so awesome had the section been composed of real footage. That said, the very concept of the song is reminiscent of Radiohead's "Fitter Happier", firstly, in that it breaks up the album instrumentally, giving it's memorable impression in a short-ish space of time (for a dancey song) and secondly because of the socio-political stance the lyrics so boldly take.
Truth be told, I love it. It shows diversity, it shows ingenuity and most importantly, it shows evolution and change, something which so many bands lack nowadays. Whether or not this is positive change, is entirely up for debate. Yes, the electronics were heavier on this album - but then again, they've always been there; even 2006's "Black Holes And Revelations" was laden with synthesisers.
★★★★
Versions of "The 2nd Law: Unsustainable"
Album Version - 3:48
Instrumental Version - 3:48