r.e.m. / comments

Few people doubt that R.E.M. is one of the best bands playing and putting out music today, but for more than a decade, in the wake of drummer and co-lyricist Bill Berry's departure, they began to experiment with synthesizers, producing a more electronic and, yes, contrived sound, and a sometimes painfully leisurely tempo inconsistent with their previous, fleeter, more sprightly offerings. Then, in April of this year, the band released "Accelerate," an album that was billed as their comeback, and returned to the high-octane, adrenaline-charged sound that put them on the map to begin with. Songs like "Living Well's the Best Revenge," "Man-Sized Wreath," and "Horse to Water" are more than enough to satiate those hungry for vintage R.E.M., while tracks like "Hollow Man," "Until the Day is Done," the unabashedly political "Mr. Richards," and the poignantly sardonic "Houston," will please those who fell in love with the band post-Automatic for the People. It is doubtless among R.E.M.'s top five best albums... Give them a chance. You won't be disappointed.