R.E.M. - Accelerate

Warner Bros. Records 2008

8/10

Best Track: "Horse to Water"

Worst Track: "I'm Gonna DJ"

Just in case you opened your favorite music publication and caught some of the massive wave of hype surrounding R.E.M.’s album Accelerate: the issue date is right. It’s not the early 1990s. It’s 2008, and R.E.M. is generating more press than they have in the entire last decade.

At R.E.M.’s peak, most of the students at this university still wore diapers. After experiencing cult success in the mid-80s, R.E.M. became famous with singles like “Losing My Religion” and “Everybody Hurts.” Then, a series of commercial flops and the departure of original drummer Bill Berry in 1997 drove the band off the face of the earth. Perhaps this is why Accelerate has garnered so much buildup. It’s been hailed as a comeback album and the one record that will bring R.E.M. to the forefront of the rock world once more.

It’s hard to say whether Accelerate will rise to the top of the U.S. rock pack commercially when the members, who range between 48 and 52 years of age, could be mistaken for the fathers of most of the people running today’s rock scene. However, their experience and rejuvenated vision have helped R.E.M. to create their most cohesive, inspired music in years.

Accelerate is technically a great album. Singer Michael Stipe’s voice is as young and yearning as ever, conveying gritty emotion in tracks like the speedy “Horse To Water” and “Houston,” the band’s version of the requisite Katrina-aftermath commentary.

With the exception of the first and last tracks, “Living Well Is The Best Revenge” and “I’m Gonna DJ” respectively, Accelerate is a fluid collection. However, each song is distinct enough to warrant its own recognition, from the thrilling paces of “Man-Sized Wreath” and “Supernatural Superserious” to the moody political ballad “Until The Day Is Done.” The album doesn’t drag, nor does it move along too quickly.

It’s safe to say that R.E.M. reached their peak a long time ago. However, Accelerate brings the band a lot closer to the high esteem in which their music was once held. With this album, R.E.M. will win back frustrated diehards while reining in new fans and, hopefully, continue to dazzle them all.

R.E.M. - Horse to Water

- Amanda Renko