Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse

The Perfect Blend of Classic Writing with Modern Rock

Muse has been my flagship band for many years, but this song takes everything they are masters in and make my favorite song of all time. First things first, the music. Matthew write incredible pieces of music that are far more complicated than what initial listens to the song will allow. There is a second version of the song, along with live versions where Matthew uses his guitar as the lead instrument through most of it, but for all intensive purposes we are going to focus on the original recording. The primary instrument in this song is the piano, it carries the song from the first chorus and continues into a phenomenal, Mozart and Beethoven level, solo/bridge. I don't know if I can emphasize enough how beautifully the song leads into the piano part with a soft bridge and comes back for a punch of energy in chorus. The bass is solid, supports the song perfectly, though simple, it does it’s job with great pace and makes its mark. The drums are wonderfully creative throughout and match the smart use of the strings used thought it the piece. Speaking of those, the string section from start to finish fills the song with a beautiful ambiance, which is also complemented with the thoughtful back up singing. Matthew is the piano player and writer of the song, but manages to belt out a totally heart filled vocal part, and his energy level is hard to match even compared with his later installments of music. Hitting those high notes with fantastically very well written lyrics, the masterpiece of the song comes full circle from storm, eye of the hurricane and a resolution. I could write for day about this song and each of it's little sections, but I have to stop at some point. With all this, the poetic sound imagery of fluttering wings and harsh storms, Butterflies and Hurricanes fits it's name perfectly.

Originality:10

Instruments:10

Vocals:9

Longevity:10

Red Score: 9.75