GenQ Music

For someone around my age (mid-20s) and growing up in the time of Madonna, George Michael and Prince, good music was all around. Also at that time another pop superpower was formed, being that of R.E.M, although it would take almost a decade for them to experience breakthrough success.

By the late 80s, when the aforementioned artists grew stronger and stronger, R.E.M, with the powerful, striking vocals of lead singer Michael Stipe, were just beginning to hit their stride. They released their breakthrough album, Document in 1987, and the debut single off the album, “The one I love” broke into the top 20.

A couple of albums later and R.E.M reconvened after a year’s hiatus to create Out of Time, including the time-classic “Losing my Religion” and the hippy-like “Shiny Happy People”, earning them 7 Grammy Nominations (of which they won three) and worldwide acclaim. Hits to follow through the 90s include “Man on the Moon”, and “Everybody Hurts”. The band released two more albums in 2001 and 2004, as well as a greatest hits album in 2003, including the hit single, “Bad Day” but neither of these were very successful.

I ask myself, how can a band that has been around since before I was born, continue to produce innovative, fresh music that keeps young and old entertained? Although R.E.M have constantly tried to keep their sound evolved from an alternative-rock base, it’s fair to say that their albums post Monster (circa 1994) have decreased in quality and acclaim.

Realising the dire situation the band was in and the need to get back on the page, they enlisted the producer talents of Jacknife Lee, and gave it potentially one last go, coming up with Accelerate. R.E.M’s 14^th studio album is easily their best this decade, and possibly up there with the other greats.

Although the band utilised a more sombre sound on some of their previous albums (some of their most popular songs as slow as they come), Accelerate is stuck on high gear. Raw and Guitar driven, this album begs to be played LOUD and sung along to.

First single, “Supernatural Superserious” has catchy vocals and a great drum and guitar melody. If I was to envision my own film clip for the song, it would be a story of growing up, and all the friendships and moments of ‘coming of age’. Michael sings “Everybody here, comes from somewhere, that they would soon forget, and disguise.”

But first we are greeted by “Living well is the best revenge”, a pedal to the metal, raw and bass-a-riffic sound accompanied by Stipe’s bullet-like lyric delivery, almost shoving it up those who ruled them out (does he even breathe?).

The listener does get a brief reprieve at the beginning of “Hollow Man”, introduced by gentle piano and a reserved, emotional Stripe, but even this doesn’t last past the first verse. “Accelerate” is the epitome of the album in sound and lyrical implications. Make of the words what you will but I can easily interpret this song as a band biography of past years.

Other highlights on the album include “Sing for the Submarine” and “Horse to Water”. Overall the album varies from accelerated, raw alt. rock to more monotonal soft rock but the result remains the same. Accelerate is a winner and GenQ advises you accelerate your own arse into stores to grab a copy.

Accelerate is now available through Warner Music.

Tags: Michael Stipe, REM