Showbiz

Says NME: "Muse is exceptional and utterly worthy..their tunes are all spectacular, stadium-sized monsters..how a band that teeters on the edge of perfection can go from strength to strength is beyond me. But they do. Oh Lord, they do." Says influential BBC DJ Steve Lamacq: "A handsome mix of brute noise and fragility..the most requested and revered of the new bands played on Radio One." Discover your own Muse on this young U.K. trio's debut album, Showbiz.

Often compared to Radiohead, the youngsters in Muse make no bones about their love of Thom Yorke and company. Like Radiohead and their other favorite band, Nirvana, the tracks on Muse's debut go straight for the quiet verses and windstorm choruses associated with those acts. Unfortunately, Muse don't have that crackling aura their idols possess, and that's something that no amount of production can fix. Still, it's hard to write them off completely after hearing the single "Muscle Museum," which hints at brighter days on the horizon. Radiohead's Pablo Honey wasn't that great an album either, and look at them post-OK Computer. If they're going to crash American radio, they'll have to wait until the next release. --Jason Josephes