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In the film Big Night, two brothers run an unsuccessful authentic Italian restaurant near a successful Americanized Italian eatery. Pascal, the owner of the successful restaurant, gives the brothers some advice: “Give people what they want, then later you can give them what you want.”

It’s good advice for talented musicians who want a career in today’s ADD industry. Muse is a band that, like say Prince or Silverchair, has known what to give listeners first – as evidenced by their compositional intelligence and complexity of arrangements (speaking from a pop-music perspective). While they came into prominence on this side of the Atlantic with Absolution’s snapping single “Time Is Running Out,” the band already had a solid body of industrial, synth-infused political thrashing. Muse has always had a top-tier quality to their work, but with The Resistance, Matthew Bellamy and company, demonstrate the fullness of maturity.

While The Resistance may not represent everyone’s favorite part of Muse’s musical development, it’s an impressive showcase in the blend of songwriting prowess and accessibility. Almost entirely leaving behind the buzzsaw thrashing of old (“Unnatural Selection” is the only exception), the pulsing energy remains but the bombastic grind takes less prominence than the epic orchestrations. There are a moments of simplicity, like the lead single “Uprising,” an industrial, arcade-game anthem. There’s also the damn-if-they-don’t-do-a-VMA-remix-performance-with-Jay-Z “Undisclosed Desires,” with its hip-hop backing and plucking melody. But even the initial simplicity of tracks like “I Belong to You/Mon Cœur S’ouvre à ta Voix,” – with its quirky French vibe – are altered by the non-traditional arrangements and swelling, operatic movements.

And this is where The Resistance dwells – in the epic, classically influenced narrative of two lovers in the band’s quintessential dystopia. Early on, there’s “United States of Eurasia (+ Collateral Damage),” a space age “Bohemian Rhapsody” that ends with a section of Chopin’s Nocture in E Flat, Op. 9, no. 2. Then the album closes with the much talked about 13-minute “Exogenesis.” The three-track celestial symphonic are reminiscent of boundary pushing bands from the ’80’s, like Pink Floyd, but with a little more classical know-how.

If the opening didn’t give it away, this probably isn’t the best starting point for casual listeners unaware of what to expect from Muse. But there are definitely entry points on the record, mentioned above, and the album is sure to impress both music buffs and Top 40 lovers alike. Even if you’re not sure about it, it’s worth having in the long-term, because you’ll come back to it with fresh appreciation for years.