R.E.M. - "accelerate"

What do you do when you're a legendary band, whose last few albums have gotten increasingly more melancholy and drab, selling fewer and fewer copies with each successive album, and receiving less commercial radio play of your new music making rumors start that you're past your prime as a band? You put out a rocking album that not only proves you are still relevant, but may also be the most fun album of your long career.

That's just what R.E.M. has done with "accelerate".

11 tracks in 34 minutes and 33 seconds, is concise enough to be a punk album, but what I think "accelerate" really is is an announcement to the world that R.E.M. still knows how to rock. Many of the songs feel radio ready, as if the band that early on was never interested in a commercial radio hit, would like to get back on the charts. But in no way am I saying that R.E.M. have "sold out", as I think there is something on this album for both long-time fans and kids who may only know songs like "losing my religion".

The first 4 songs on the album ("living well is the best revenge", "man-sized wreath", "supernatural superserious", and "hollow man") sound like a band revitalized, a garage rock vibe with pop hooks a plenty. But you need not worry about another "shiny happy people", there is nothing on this album even bordering on that type of saccharine-pop. If anything, I'd say these songs are more in the direction of "bad day" (arguably the best new song they've put out in recent years, on their "the best of R.E.M. in time 1988-2003).

Despite this being a rock album, "accelerate" does have a few more mellow tracks on it in "Houston", "until the day is done", and "sing for the submarine", all of which sound like lost tracks from the "new adventures in hi-fi" album (an album that is among my favorite of R.E.M.'s). These are really solid songs, but if there is anything negative I can say about "accelerate" it's that these songs almost slow down the album when you want it to just keep rocking along.

No worries though, as R.E.M. was smart enough to intersperse the mellow tracks between the rockers, as if giving you a few songs to relax and catch your breath.

"Accelerate" ends with 2 more incredible rock numbers ("horse to water" and "I'm gonna DJ"), that left me wanting to immediately replay the album, which I did...several times now since I received the album. Each successive listen as left me grinning ear to ear as much as the first listen.

R.E.M. are back, and "accelerate" is a definite keeper.

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