Muse Hit A New Level Of Cheesiness In 'Dig Down'

Cheesiness and overdramatic movements are what make Muse so endearing to their fans. Something in their overblown grandness just leads to an epic sound that everyone can love. Things seem to gone a bit too far with this new track of theirs, though, as Muse hit a new level of cheesiness in 'Dig Down.'

I'll preface this by saying 'Dig Down' isn't a horrible song, though it definitely isn't a strong one. There are some familiar elements in this track that definitely give it a Musey vibe. The wobbling dubstep harkens back to The 2nd Law and its dubstep elements, while Matt Bellamy's grand vocal harmonies sounds like something they also tried out in their latest effort, Drones. The song has a slow build up, strings entering in the second verse as guitars ring above it. For some reason, the choruses return to their stripped down format. The bridge gains some more momentum as Bellamy interjects the song with a solo and Dom Howard's drums take a step up, the final chorus offering up the grandest sound the track has to offer.

Just as the music video will show, however, this song has a huge cheesy factor. There were of course moments like in 'Psycho' and throughout all of Drones, really, that you think this band couldn't get more out there, but lo and behold, we have 'Dig Down.' The music video revolves around a woman fitting her way through what seems to be a secret underground base, fighting enemies along the way. It's violent, kung-fu filled, and follows the whole finding hope when there seems to be none idea of the song.

The thing with the song is that it just doesn't go anywhere. The subtle build is nice, but it feels lost when the choruses strip away all those elements. The guitar solo is pretty underwhelming and unmemorable. The presence of Chris Wolstenholme and Howard are basically nonexistent. Everything about this song just makes it feel like a bad rendition of 'Madness,' with all of the great dynamics and charming elements of 'Madness' being sacrificed for something a lot more cheesier. Even when the song hits its final chorus, there's something empty about it. There's just no meat to the track.

As said before, 'Dig Down' isn't a bad song. It's just missing a lot that would make it a good song. It's not something that really defines Muse as a band, but rather something they tried and just didn't quite nail. There's no fault in experiment, but here's hoping more material in the future is more complete.

Rating: 60 / 100

Buy or listen to 'Dig Down' on Apple Music or Amazon: