*** Muse

SHOWBIZ

(Maverick)

It's hard not to hear Jeff Buckley or Thom Yorke in the voice of Muse singer Matthew Bellamy. Passionate, intense, and slightly world-wary, Bellamy's not afraid to crawl or leap into his powerful high register to get his emotional point across. Like Radiohead, Muse specialize in smart, intricate guitar rock. There are few simple hooks or three-chord rockers on their debut, just plenty of songs floating around mid tempo and patiently allowing a melody line or chorus to develop. Produced by John Leckie (who also manned the boards for Radiohead's The Bends) and written entirely by the 20-year-old Bellamy, Showbiz isn't the least bit cocky, but it is self-assured. There's nothing tentative about the band's playing or Bellamy's songwriting, and even the few missteps -- like the turgid title track and the underdeveloped "Unintended" -- are merely unsatisfying as opposed to unlistenable. The UK single "Uno" and the first US single, "Muscle Museum," are good introductions, showing a masterful (as opposed to kneejerk) understanding of Nirvana's soft-loud dynamism and a real knack for minor-key misery.

-- Ben Auburn