With each successive release Muse are moving away from their 'new Radiohead' image and slowly edging towards the more problematic label of 'the new Queen'. The Devon trio have always had a reputation for being ever-so-slightly over the top, but Hullabaloo is simply ridiculous - a double-CD collection which combines a live show in Paris from last year with a selection of B-sides and rarities. As a concept, this would be self-important by anyone's standards - but for a band that's released a mere two albums to date it's bordering on megalomania. Even so, Hullabaloo comes remarkably close to justifying its inherent arrogance. The live performances contain some viscerally thrilling moments performed in front of an enthusiastic French crowd, while several of the B-sides show a more acoustic, thoughtful side to the band. By the end you're left feeling that whatever their faults, Muse are true showmen - and the music scene would be an awful lot duller without them.
