"No time to question the choices I make," Michael Stipe sings on the title track of R.E.M.'s latest album, Accelerate. "I've got to follow another direction."
The seemingly timeless alt-rockers -- who dominated the 80s and early 90s with a unique, powerful sound and purposeful songwriting -- were certainly in need of a different direction when preparing to make their 14th studio album. The group's last three releases, Up (1998), Reveal (2001) and Around the Sun (2004), were all mixed bags that noticeably lacked the energy, passion and mainstream appeal of former CDs. Not surprisingly, the trio was also met with lukewarm critical reviews. As the year 2008 dawned, the band was at a standstill: Either fade into irrelevance or recapture a slowly dwindling fan base. Turns out all they needed was to retrace their steps -- essentially, rediscover what made them so good in the first place.
The band did make one major change, however, when creating their first album in four years. R.E.M. ditched the mellow brooding of Around the Sun and hired producer Jackknife Lee (who also worked with U2 on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb) to helm their latest effort. And now, Accelerate certainly lives up to its name -- it's an 11-track disc that clocks in at about a half-hour in length, with several songs barely cracking the three-minute mark. The one complaint I have with Accelerate, actually, is that it doesn't give you enough time to enjoy its artistic greatness. A thoroughly enjoyable listen, the album is unique because of its fast-paced tendencies yet also harkens back to the group's early 90s heyday.
The album opens with "Living Well Is the Best Revenge," a perfectly manic arrangement that rivals the lightning-speed lyrics of "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." Track two, "Man-Sized Wreath," is reminiscent of lilting tunes such as "Talk about the Passion" and "Nightswimming." Tracks such as "Accelerate" and "Horse to Water" are more conventional-style R.E.M. -- they evoke mega-hits like "Losing My Religion" and "Man on the Moon" and could without a doubt be key in making the band a commercial success once again.
One of the biggest letdowns from R.E.M.'s last endeavor in 2004 was the virtual disappearance of guitarist Peter Buck, whose distinctive style helped establish R.E.M. as a music biz power player. On Accelerate, Buck returns with a vengeance. His flashy skills are put on display in every track, whether ripping power chords to open "Living Well" or smoothly strumming away in the background of "Mr. Richards." It's no doubt that one of the band's goals for Accelerate was to bolster the guitarist's profile instead of leaving him in the dust with sleepy duds.
While it's evident that R.E.M. went back to their good old roots for this latest release, the band also decided to change up the pattern that had clearly held them down the past few albums. By holding true to the title and significantly quickening the pace of Accelerate, R.E.M. created a double-edged sword. Sure, some of the album's impact and significance is lost if it turns out to be only 35 minutes long. But at the same time, it also shows listeners that the band is, perhaps, going in a different direction. 3
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