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From Rockworms
Rockworms Record Recap: R.E.M. Accelerate
Written by Adam Cozens
"Everybody here, Comes from somewhere. But they would just as soon forget, and disguise"
-Stipe, "Supernatural Superserious"
The above words are the first that anyone heard from the mouths of R.E.M. in over four long years.
After the release of 2004's mellow Around The Sun there were schools of thought that strongly hinted that R.E.M. had perhaps, had officially lost its way. They rocked hard on Monster, kept it hard but created a new sound in New Adventures in Hi-Fi, followed the craze and went tech'y for Up, bored the room to tears with Reveal and despite still writing great songs, lost more than a little heart with Around The Sun. Perhaps having heard these cries for R.E.M. to return to form, the now aged-rock veterns playing in their FOURTH decade have decided to bring the fire back. No longer are they to be thought of as "that band that used to". They have shed the emo, acoustic veil that has unfairly been laid upon them and have hit back with one of the years most important albums: Accelerate.
I won't begin to fabricate some lie that I am entirely impartial to Stipe, Mills, Buck and (still in my mind) Berry. They are my favorite band. They only band they I insist on buying the day that they come out. Others that I love I will wait and maybe pick up during the weekend or when it goes on sale. But not R.E.M. They mean too much to me. Too many memories of just me and my discman, dancing down the street to Out Of Time. Too many sad times when my only comfort was Automatic For the People. I remember the first time I heard Document. I was living in my childhood home, I think junior year of high school. I was being driving to Tacoma for the state wrestling tournament which I was unbearably nervious to partake in. Everyone around me was listening to Jay-Z or Dr. Dre. But for some reason, Michael Stipe seemed to work for me. I lost my two matches that year, but I couldn't blame the band. I DID however now have to go out and buy every single thing that they ever created. And that I did.
Fast forward back to 2008. I am sitting at my desk in the offices of Rockworms East and in front of me now is Accelerate. I have lived in four states since I first found the band. I have developed a talent for missing out on seeing them live that ranks up their with the best of 'em. I have the vinyl, the posters, the t-shirts. I'm a nut.
But that also makes me one of the most critical. I have tried to protect the bands legacy in the eyes of fellow music fans for years. I have fought off criticism from old fans that have decided to move on following the seeming change of direction and defended even some of the most questionable recordings for the sake of letting time be the judge.
Thankfuly, I will not have to do ANY of that with their new album because Accelerate is really, REALLY good.
Jumping in the way-back machine, guitarist Peter Buck unaplologetically rips into his open fuzz-laden riffs with the finger strokes of a much-younger man. The Man With The Voice Which Never Ages follows him and bassist Mills into the squared-circle of rock for the opening salvo, "Living Well Is The Best Revenge." The band sounds much younger on this song. They were often critized for sounding older than they were in the old days and now they sound like perhaps they were expected to in the mid-80's. This song could easilly have found placement on Reckoning or other early 80's recordings. Mills lays his voice in perfectly to accompanying this great opening track.
The Stipe-driven "Man-Sized Wreath" slides into 2nd with a song that sounds as if it was written for the arena-rock stage. I can see Michael pacing around Madison Square Garden as he references looking around, kicking in crap and dancing. Vintage R.E.M., with a lot of new balance. As he instructs people do move around as if "they just don't care", you can tell that perhaps it is actually Stipe who has learned to not care and have fun again.
"Supernatural Superserious", the albums first single (and QUITE the radio-friendly unit-shifter, at that!) has stood tough against repeated listenings. One of the most head-nodding, sing-along's that the band has released since perhaps the early 90's. But this is not all about throwing-back. A new sound is emerging. This is not the band that waded through grunge. This is a band with more years under their belt than almost anyone in the game and who remembers how to do it right. "Supernatural Superserious" was the perfect song to kick-start a full-fledged R.E.M. rebirth.
I could hear the audible drones as "Hollow Man" starts. Piano crooning? Arrrgh. Reveal all over again. But then, the guitars return! it was all a ruse! "Hollow Man" is awesome! Clever wordplay, great story-telling and creative insturmental inclusion lets me understand why this track has been thumbed as the 2nd single. And despite it's sound, it is apperently NOT auto-biographical.
"Houston" is an interesting track. It's the story of a man dealing with the confines he finds himself in from paranoia, but staying away from the simple formula, R.E.M. leaves his problem unresolved. The oft-loved R.E.M. madolin returns on this brooding track.
"Accelerate" is the song that you can hear Peter Buck has been waiting a life-time to play. The eponymous track is a fast-paced bloody-knuckle ride through the muscial spectrum. A potential new set-closing anthem that takes it's own life with repeated listenings.
"Until The Day is done" is a Stipian protest anthem. I have a hard time with these track most of the time. My overall problem is the general pacing and mood that the songs take. However, "UTDID" has a far more melodic nature to it which makes you appreciate the lyrical effort for what it is.
I don't know what "Mr. Richards" is about. It sounds like the story of a man who teaches piano in a war-time society. Or some crap like that. It is very sing-songing. A quality track.
"Sing for the Submarine" might be what I take away from this album the most. For the first time in his career, Stipe referances previous songs on this track. Name-dropping "Electron Blue", "High Speed Train", "Feeling Gravity's Pull" and in a lesser, not as specific way "It's The End Of The World As We Know It." With a hyponotic Beatles-esque accompanyment, "Sing For the Submarine" has the potential to scare the life out of you.
The album begins to wrap with the jamming "Horse to Water." You would feel completely comfortable finding this on the playlist of any contemporary pop-rock radio station. With it's catchy chorus, it's head-nodding kick-drum and the overall perfectly-laid production, this track might stand out as a rebirth of the band more than any other. My prior statement on pop radio is not to signify that I feel this is a song that showcases a band which has sold-out, but more as a band that is fine with kicking its feet up and having fun again.
That same sentament is found in the album's closing "I'm Gonna DJ." The long-time concert favorite and b-side has been accused as being one of the band's poorer efforts and has even been refered to as "a dud". While this doesn't carry the weight of an "Everybody Hurts", I feel that along with it's accompanying "Horse to Water", "I'm Gonna DJ" is R.E.M.'s toungue-in-cheek way of finally saying "get off our back, let us do out thing and let us have our fun."
One of, if not the hardest thing for a veteran rock band to do is to improve upon their previous efforts. No matter how much you enjoy your work, their will always be segments of the population as well as your fanbase your wish you would return to a place which you no longer are at. After the departure of Bill Berry in 1997, it would not have been a suprise to see R.E.M. go their seperate ways. But instead they have pushed on and created many differant, but all well-crafted albums.
After years of trying to beat their previous efforts, with Accelerate it feels like the boys simply decided that they wanted to make an album for themselves. As as irony would have it, unlike previous results, they HAVE returned to form and created something worth remembering. On an R.E.M. album 1-14 list, I would place Accelerate at 10 or 11. Maybe 9. But somewhere in that range. Out of the 11 tracks, I will easily find home for at least 8 of them in my "Best of R.E.M." iTunes folder.
What may have started as an excercise in self-gratification has turned into one of the most important albums of the year.
Extremely Recomended.