“The Wow! Signal” (Muse) – Songs Ranked & Album Review

Muse have released a new album! I’ve been a Muse fan for almost a decade now, so I’m always hyped whenever a new project releases.

“The Wow! Signal” is yet another shift in tone for the band – it’s a sort of halfway point between the synthetic sounds on “Simulation Theory” and the Heavy Rock on “Will Of The People” … but does it work? Let’s talk about it!

I’m going to rank all ten songs on the new album from worst to best, and then at the end I’ll give my overall review.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

EVERY Muse Album Song Ranked

Muse Albums Ranked

“Ants From Up There” Songs Ranked

“…Like Clockwork” (Queens of the Stone Age) – Every Song Ranked

Meh

10 – Be With You

My least favourite song on the album is actually one of the first singles from it – after hearing “Be With You” I assumed the worst for this album.

This is exactly what I don’t want from a Muse song. It’s slow and soppy, and I don’t buy Matt’s lyrics for a second. Luckily, the rest of the singles – and the rest of the album – were much better.

Okay

9 – Shimmering Scars

Another of the slower songs. I can’t help but feel that tracks like “Shimmering Scars” is the band catering to their early “Twilight” audience.

They do a bit too much across the board, both musically and in the production, and the whole thing comes across as a little melodramatic.

8 – Space Debris

The final song on the album was actually a bit of a disappointment. I don’t mind a slower finale, as I really like previous album closers such as “Megalomania” and “Ruled by Secrecy”, but this one didn’t do it for me.

It’s very lethargic and spaced-out by design, but that means I don’t feel any energy behind it. The final couple of minutes has a nice build and were definitely the highlight, but the track never gripped me.

Good

7 – The Dark Forest

I was a bit hesitant going into “The Wow! Signal” (mostly because of the “Be With You” single …), and the first few minutes of “The Dark Forest” didn’t help. It seemed cliché, and that guitar tone wasn’t as crisp as I wanted.

The second half, however, is much better. It takes a more cinematic / dramatic turn, but it doesn’t sound as corny as it could have. The final minute and a half has some fantastic riffs.

6 – Hush (feat. Ellie Goulding)

I never would’ve tipped Ellie Goulding for a Muse feature, but she does okay.

“Hush” verges on cliché (it has a simple beat, a simple chorus and some broad synths – all the Muse hallmarks) but the heavy riffs and the central melody got stuck in my head.

5 – Cryogen

One of the biggest singles from the album’s lead-up, and dare I say the most overrated? Am I going to get crucified by the Muse fanbase for that?

The guitar solo doesn’t do it for me (it’s a bit derivative of “Plug In Baby”, after all) but the rest of the song is a solid Rock tune.

4 – The Sickness In You & I

“The Sickness In You & I” gets a bit heavier than I wanted (it didn’t need those DOOM-esque guitar riffs in my opinion), but I really liked the vibe.

It reminded me of the Queens Of The Stone Age at first, which can never be a bad comparison. The riffs are slick and that chorus is an earworm.

Great

3 – Hexagons

This is the kind of modern Muse song I was looking out for. The arpeggiating synths and the fast guitar parts are a match made in heaven.

I also really like how the band play with time signatures on “Hexagons”, switching between four and six beats occasionally. If “Satisfactory” ever makes a Heavy Metal sequel I want this song on the soundtrack.

2 – Unravelling

“Unravelling” was the first single to make me hyped for the album. “Be With You” was a dud as far as I’m concerned, but this was the kind of Muse song I’d been longing for.

Those arpeggiating synths are simple but highly effective, and the heavy riffs are among the best on the album. The chorus is maybe a little too broad for my taste – that’s the only thing holding it back from top spot.

Amazing

1 – Nightshift Superstar

My god. Chris Wolstenholme has still got it. I was warned by a friend that “Nightshift Superstar” had an awesome bassline, but if anything he was underselling it – this is one of the best Muse basslines of all time. For a band with Wolstenholme’s quality, that’s quite the achievement.

The bassline alone almost guaranteed it a place atop this ranking, but the rest of the song is such a catchy bop. The heavy Disco vibes are immaculate – I could easily see this being one of the songs of the summer.

FINAL SCORE: 7.5/10

“The Wow! Signal” was a slightly better album than I was expecting. There are only three or so songs which I’ll take away from it, but the rest were fairly consistent from beginning to end. Muse leaned fully into the overly dramatic production and, to their credit, they nailed that bombastic sound.

Aaaand that’s my list! If you liked this post and want to support me, please consider giving me a one-time donation. Even a few pence (or whatever currency you use) is fantastic! I’ve never monetized this blog before, but it would be great if I could do this comfortably and not have to worry about the yearly website domain costs. Thank you so much!