MUSE: Black Holes and Revelations (Warner Music).

Muse is one of those post-Britpop UK bands given the licence to get clever by the breakthrough of Radiohead. Black Holes takes the prog rock experiment to its logical limit, best summed up in bomastic opener Take a Bow, which is driven by synthesisers, sustained guitar lines and Queen-like layered harmonies. Some synth-heavy tracks (Starlight, Map of the Problematique) sound like '80s throwbacks and Matt Bellamy's vocal acrobatics lack the emotional pull of Thom Yorke's, but Muse's sheer audacity and mighty big sound is convincing nonetheless. It's also pleasing to see a band that has headlined Glastonbury – and stands on the edge of the top tier – willing to take risks with its image.

JEFF CRAWFORD