rem - accelerate (warner)
April 14, 2008
As you would imagine, after a handful of decades of releasing records, there could be the fear of letting an album out on the world that just screams 'business as usual'. Granted, REM have got a rather distinctive sound, especially when it comes to Michael Stipe's distinctive vocals, however 'Accelerate' doesn't feel like REM simply going through the motions. Bringing on Irish producer Jacknife Lee was a great start; he has managed to capture the energy that the band have live which can sometimes not be so obvious on their recordings. 'Accelerate' isn't likely to win new fans, although I don't think this is really the bands intention anymore. It feels like a band content to just make music that they like, which is going to keep longer term fans very happy.
