Often described as a small sleepy harbour town in South Devon, Teignmouth (pronounced 'Tinmouth') can hardly be held on high as a nest bed for groundbreaking progressive music with a political undertow of tsunami proportions, but somehow, where Muse is concerned, this is the case.

'Black Holes and Revelations' is the fifth album by Muse when counting the 2001 soundtrack album Hullabaloo, and according to many stalwart aficionado's of all that is loved about Muse, it's a big bag of mainstream pants. I, on the other hand, preferring music that pushes the boundaries whilst still holding a structure which allows me to whistle my favourite tracks with enough decibel effect to act as a muffler against Luther Vandross' Greatest Hits (with emphasis on dross), which is morbidly being repeated in my house by the better half, think it's one superb album.

Other critics of Muse have argued that this album is a mish-mash of studio offerings that hang badly together and only exist on one album to satisfy the musical taste of their faithful many, notably in France and Japan, and the "on the mainstream fringe" brigade. Bellamy sees the eclecticism however in a more positive light believing that the album marks a watershed in the bands rediscovery of their passion for music and inventiveness. Bellamy has also reaped revenge on his critics by singing "Jive Talkin'" with accordion accompaniment late at night outside their front doors whilst they tried to sleep. Gary Bushell was allegedly heard to scream "Damn that Bee-Gee-esque hard rockin' progressive rock falsetto pitch perfect adopted son of Teignmouth"…(or something to that effect with less syllables).

1. Take A Bow
A track that has been reviled by may reviewers as being a weak intro to a great album and though their view is well off the mark it does impress me that these 'in the know' music critics cannot only talk out of it but are equally capable of penning their views directly from their own posterior whilst having their ears shoved full of loft insulation and thinking McFly are the new Beatles. "Take a bow" gives you just a taste of the musical roller coaster ride awaiting the listener whilst verbally enlightening the ear drums with a lyrically sublime affront to the political corruption that is dominant in the 'civilised world' with closing lyrics promising that the political elite will burn in hell for their sins. A track characterised by a swirling electro synth backing that exists somewhere between 'Yes' and retro 80's pop and culminates in a majestic and yet ominous "your doomed" guitar riff. Bellamy's chant relating to the powerfuls' comeuppance is perfectly held in place by the haunting harmonics of Wostenholme.

3. Supermassive Black Hole
Do I need to go here? You must have been living in a Tibetan commune with your head submerged in a vat of Angel Delight if you haven't heard this one…an absolute blinder in every sense of the word which makes Robert Palmers 'Addicted to Love' appear like a walk in the park with sickeningly fluffy girly girls wearing pink gabardine dresses. I'm trying to work out what aspect is most raunchy in this track…the weighty drums....the reverberating undertow of bass... the droning reverberating riff of Bellamy's lead guitar or the writhing falsetto vocals of Bellamy himself? ..."who cares?" Suffice to say that if Bellamy offered me back to his place for a coffee after hearing this, the only thing I would be saying would be "where's my pink gabardine coat?"

Now please bear with me for the final push for it is worth a mention. Now, I'm no art critic but the cover design for this album is absolutely sublime. At first glance it shows four well rounded folically challenged men in bad suits sitting round a table in the middle of the desert…closer inspection though tells a very different story.