10 Underrated Hard Rock Songs Of The 2000s
9. The Small Print - Muse
Whereas the White Stripes were taking things back to basics, Muse were practically on the other end of the spectrum with their brand of stadium rock. With the release of their third outing Absolution, Matt Bellamy had really dialed in his grand scope of songwriting, which would give them hits like Time is Running Out and Hysteria upon its release. However, Bellamy did at least have one thing in common with Jack: an appreciation of punk rock.
While feeling just the slightest bit out of place, the Small Print is a welcome comedown to the more lofty songs that we've been hearing on the record so far. As a bare bones riff is put at the front of the mix, a lot of this song is much more forceful than something like Butterflies and Hurricanes. Though not quite Stockholm Syndrome levels of heavy, a lot of this tune feels like the extent of a jam session, with both Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard giving it their all in terms of just raw energy.
The lyrics are actually pretty pertinent as well, with Bellamy giving a conflicted view on religion, which would come out in droves on Thoughts of a Dying Atheist a few songs later. For a band that is known for their more extravagant productions, seeing this punk rock energy accounted for is certainly a welcome change of pace.