STREAM THE NEW R.E.M. FOR FREE
I'm not sure what's the bigger story here. That the entire new R.E.M. album is available for free streaming -- one week before its April 1 release -- or that R.E.M. has made its best LP since 1992's Automatic For The People.
Recorded mostly in Dublin and produced by Jacknife Lee (U2, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party), Accelerate lives up to its title, coming out of the gate with the bombastic, uptempo "Living Well's The Best Revenge" and not really letting up from there.
Compare this to the last three snoozefest sountracks released by the Athens trio since founding drummer Bill Berry's departure in 1996: Up, Reveal and the downright glum Around The Sun.
The advance word was that the band was uber-serious about making a comeback album with Accelerate, even "workshopping" new material at a sold-out five-night stand last summer in a small-ish Dublin venue.
Most supergroups would not merit a fourth chance from fans after three consecutive LPs full of diminishing returns. And R.E.M. is not really an exception. Even diehards seemed prepared to write the band off after Around The Sun.
Accelerate, which surely will face skepticism from fans new and old, proves that R.E.M.'s lengthy losing streak (which many fans blamed on Berry's exit and the subsequent deflation in the band's spirit) may indeed have been for lack of trying.
Here they try, too hard, and yet it's perfect. From Stipe's raspy baritone voice, to the interesting production choices by Lee, to the spooky slower cuts that sound a bit creepy, and dark, and resplendent in Southern gothic imagery -- this is pretty convincing stuff. Even for the no longer convinced.
Check it out here until April 1 and let us know what you think.
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gdog says
Sorry, don't see it. As an early REM adopter (fave album, "Life's Rich Pageant"), I've always been able to find something special on all their records, although as noted above, it has been harder to find on later releases. Listened to Accelerate and heard some good hooks and lyrics, but all-in-all, just seems a slickly produced piece of fluff like so much else of our pop culture. Could have been recorded in Hollywood verdus Dublin, IMHO. Kudos to the boys for the novel release method, at least.Johnny Fibonacci says
My first cassette tape ever was the single for Stand. The new record sounds pretty good. It's basically like everything else they've done, but the production does make it stand out alittle bit.Cobra says
awesome, thanks!Holworks says
REM Accelerate is very good. I just listened to the album through these links. Thanks MN for posting. Hey, isn't it time we had those record companies involved in a contest?