The musical touchstone for the British trio
Muse is obviously
Radiohead and that fact is crystal clear from the smoldering opening cut, "Sunburn." Their
John Leckie-produced debut,
Showbiz, is strong on angst-filled vocals, esoteric lyrics, and dramatic shifts in sonic dynamics. Hailing from rural England, singer/guitarist
Matthew Bellamy, bassist
Chris Wolstenholme, and drummer
Dominic Howard average 20 years of age, so there's plenty of potential for them to grow into a sound that is more of their own. In the meantime,
Bellamy does an impressive job of aping the quirky, nervous vocal tic of
Thom Yorke on songs like the mid-tempo, Mellotron-driven "Muscle Museum," and he cuts loose vocally on the soaring "Cave" and on the lovely, mournful ballad "Unintended."
Showbiz hints at the potential in this young band, and it should be of interest to many
Radiohead fans. ~ Tom Demalon