20 ARTS 10.13.09 The RetrIever Weekly Muse's The Resistance is orchestrally inspired

Sarah Evans the beginning and intense lyrics and with more of a darker sound and Senior Staff Writer the great vocal range characteristic epic lyrics like “no hope for fate.” of lead singer Matthew Bellamy. The song also changes tempo and When artistic ambition and true “Uprising” has a very different feel many times during the course of musicianship are added into the mix sound from another stand-out track the almost seven minutes, drawing for most popular bands today, the from The Resistance, “United States the listener in even more. recipe turns from one for success of Eurasia.” This track starts with “MK Ultra” also has a great guitar into one for disaster. For the British a soft, haunting piano melody, and part to get the listener right into the trio Muse though, there is no need then goes into a very “Bohemian song and keeps them enthralled. “I to worry about the album they have Rhapsody” inspired chorus. Some Belong to You/Mon Coeur S’Ouvre cooked up. For the most part, The have said this as a criticism of the a Ta Voix” is another original song Resistance showcases the Muse that album, but really it is not a bad with an upbeat groove to get into. fans know and love, while still trying thing to draw influence from classic The bass line is funkier and bouncier to stretch creativity with a three part songs when it is done well, in a way with a bright piano part. That is, orchestral “symphony” at the end. that has its own original twist. How until it transitions into the section A few songs at the beginning do not many songs today directly sample in French, with lofty piano and quite live up to the expectations of other songs, putting no original harmonies. The song is basically two originality and just plain compelling thought into it? Drawing influence songs in one, but they fit together music that fans have come to expect from a band like Queen, especially nicely in a juxtaposed sort of way. from Muse. “Undisclosed Desires” when you can pull it off, is not a This brings us to the thirteen- and even the title track “Resistance” problem. minute three-part symphony piece just don’t have as much genuine The next song “Guiding Light” “Exogenesis.” Much of each track is feeling as previous works or even replaces the characteristic driving simply instrumental, with full string some other songs on The Resistance. bass line with a pounding drumbeat, sections until Bellamy’s voice rises courtesy warner bros. music They seem almost generic at first instead giving the song a bit of an 80’s over the orchestra. The “Overture” Muse’s latest album, The Resistance, incorporates tracks that feature a small sounding influence, but the lyrics are sets the tone with the full string listen. This would be the only place symphony orchestra. for complaint though, as the rest of touching and the song is still catchy. orchestra, while the second part the album makes up for it. This track is followed by another “Cross-Pollination” begins with fast piece, yet it is still hopeful. their own way. Let’s be honest, any The album’s single “Uprising” is standout, “Unnatural Selection.” paced classical piano runs before Overall, Muse has created an album band that can successfully compose the song that sounds the most similar This song begins with an organ, the rest of the band comes in. The filled with inspiration from other a small symphony has got to have to popular Muse, or the songs fair- transitioning into a fast, driving third part “Redemption” begins with musicians that they have turned into chops. weather fans would know from the guitar, bass and drum melody. The a piano melody obviously inspired their own signature sound. They group. And it’s catchy and easy to style is a bit like that of the Arctic by Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.” are simply a group of very talented Comments may be sent listen to, with a driving bass line in Monkeys, but is still obviously Muse This line turns it into a very haunting musicians who always do things to [email protected].

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Q: I recently met this guy through my ex-boyfriend, and even though he’s really cool, he keeps coming onto me and I feel like it is making my friendship with him complicated. How can I tell him that I’m not interested in that sort of relationship with him?

A: The easiest solution would be to simply tell him this and watch his reaction. Of course, perhaps altering the wording slightly would be appropriate, such as telling him that you’re not interested in pursuing a relationship with him and that his approaches are making the situation awkward. Regardless of what you chose to say, simply be straightforward with him and admit that you’re not interested - it shouldn’t come up again. If his interests and actions don’t match the way you feel, then perhaps it would be best to simply move on and prevent any major complications from arising in your friendships.

Q: Lately, it seems like my boyfriend has just been either way too busy doing schoolwork for grad school or he’s busy doing other things with his friends. It doesn’t feel like he has any time for me anymore. We’ve been dating for a few months now and I don’t want it to end like this. What should I do?

A: If your boyfriend has seemed to lose interest in you, you should probably ask yourself how serious you expect the relationship to be, first, and then, if the situ- ation calls, approach him and confront him about his recent actions. Remember that you cannot simply force him to suddenly spark interest in you if he has genu- inely lost it, and, unfortunately, the relationship not ending cannot be guaran- teed. If he has, in fact, lost interest in you, then it would be best to simply break things off with him. However (and most likely), if he hasn’t been aware that what he has been doing has been harming you, simply tell him how it has been making you feel, and try to be non-aggressive when conveying your feelings to him. If it works out, then it will work out, even if the future is uncertain.