After the slippery slope of soft rock sent REM to their nadir, on 2004’s Around The Sun, they made the wise decision to refer to Jacknife Lee who helped the band get back to the essence of who they once were, and the result was this fiery, loud, propulsive set that flies by in about half an hour and is easily one of the best redemption tales any band ever delivered. So many people had written the band off by this point and this album has not gotten as much attention as it’s deserved. Those who paid attention were treated to one of the most inspired REM albums in well over a decade.
While Bill Berry is missed, the late, great Bill Rieflin does a hell of a job, propelling these songs. And every song is fantastic. Highlights include “Living Well Is The Best Revenge”, the slow burn of “Houston”, Mike Mills’ bass work on “Man Sized Wreath”, the quirky psych-pop of “Mr. Richards”, and the bangin’ single, “Supernatural Superserious”. But really the entire album is killer and is worth listening to closely. This is the REM that I so dearly miss.
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