Muse Hullabaloo
(Mushroom, two CDs)
***

With only two studio albums to their credit, it is a bit early for Muse to be thinking about double CDs of b-sides and live tracks, even if the Devon trio have proved more rewarding than the "new Radiohead" tag promised. Yet here is just such a thing, featuring 10 b-sides and rarities plus a live disc recorded in Paris last autumn. It is aimed squarely at their fervent fanbase: the live side contains only one hit, Muscle Museum, with the rest of the space occupied by more obscure album tracks and new songs. The b-sides, meanwhile, are expressly for aficionados, given their high quotient of guitar diddling. It's easy to appreciate why vague noodlers such as Forced In were tucked away until now, but there is more fulfilling stuff in Recess, with its contrasting drunk/hungover sections, and the mad-headed stomper Nature 1, which allows singer Matt Bellamy to explore his full stratospheric range. For all its flaws, Hullabaloo does generate high expectations for their next album.