R.E.M. - Accelerate

Growing up in the 90’s it was hard to ignore R.E.M.

Afterall, the band released back to back classics with 1991’s Out of Time and 1992’s Automatic for the People, only to be followed up by the 1994 rocker Monster.

Then, the Athens legends began a slow descent.

In retrospect, 1996’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi is actually a great album, but was hard to realize that then after the departure of drummer Bill Berry and the following releases.

Up from 1998, Reveal from 2001 and Around the Sun from 2004 are, for the most part, lackluster albums that many have forgotten.

Long story short, I haven’t looked forward to a new R.E.M. album in a long, long, long time.

So, does the band’s latest release, Accelerate, fulfill expectations?

Absolutely. Critics were actually right when they announced that this is R.E.M.’s best release in years.

The guys sound exceptionally fresh, as if they’re catching a second wind just to respond to current events.

Accelerate is a right to the point and solid rocker, with some classic R.E.M. sprinkled in between.

This is album should defiantly be picked up.

Check out these tracks:

“I’m Gonna DJ”

“Living Well Is The Best Revenge”

And, of course the video for “Supernatural Superserious”