REM - Accelerate
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
Several weeks ago i said some pretty mean things about REM. In a discussion with friends I declared that REM was totally irrelevant. While not horrible, Up and Reveal were unfocused and messy and their production out shone the songs which is something that should never ever happen unless you’re Bjork. Around the Sun was legitimately terrible. I dont care what anyone says, specifically huge REM fans, there wasnt one good song on that record and Michael Stipe sounded like he was asleep through the whole thing.
Now 4 years later they give us Accelerate and while i refuse to take back any of the mean things i said about them a couple weeks ago Im not going to beat around the bush: this record is a monster, even more so than Monster which wasnt fantastic either but did rock. On the first track, Living Well is the best Revenge, they sound like their ’80s indie mates the Replacements (when are they getting in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by the way), which is really saying something when youre talking about REM. Michael Stipe sounds super engaged, Mike Mills is singing his super high back up vocals and Peter Buck sounds like hes playing on a Minus 5 record which are all pretty good. The only thing missing is Bill Berry. this is the perfect Bill Berry record. Bill Rieflin is a hell of a drummer but sometimes his fills are just too much when all the song really needs is a little 1-2 tom and snare hit. Nice and simple and clean.
Accelerate is loud, its passionate and it has brought REM all the way back from total irrelevancy to being a band that you have to listen to. Awesome, way to make me look like a jerk REM.
