More Upbeat But Sounding Old And Weary (Accelerate - R.E.M.)

Member Name: andyoz

Product:	Accelerate - R.E.M.
Date:	17/06/09 (11 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A few good songs

Disadvantages: To much filler

I am a huge fan of REM, have loads of their albums, and just enjoy listening to them. However in recent years their music seems to have been a bit soft! Lacking its earlier potency and bite. So have been quite disapointed. But whilst I was browsing in HMV this album was being played. Is this REM I thought, I don't recognise it. And I liked what I heard. So I checked with the staff and they told me 'yep, tis their new album'. Sweet! So a promptly purchased myself a copy.

Now if you have read my review of 'New adventures in Hi-Fi' you will know that is my favorite REM album by a distance. Much more rockier and some really raw sounds. Since then I have been hoping they could reproduce something similar. So.... Was this what I had been waiting for? Well let's have a wee gander:

1. Living Well Is The Best Revenge - Promising start. A good solid rock song, nice pace, some good riffs and nice beat. 9/10

2. Man-Sized Wreath - Not bad, this one feels like it's trying to be rock, but for some reason just feels to mainstream. Like so many REM songs that are to commercial. 8/10

3. Supernatural Superserious - Excellent song. A really good intro as the song comes to life. Still not quite as heavy as I would like, but a really good offering. 9/10

4. Hollow Man - A slower song. Quite a nice sound, but like so many recent REM songs, its just weak and miserable. It does get going about half way through but is nothing special. 7/10

5. Houston - Quite a dark sounding song. Nothing really special again here. 7/10

6. Accelrate - Another upbeat song that seems like they are trying to be edgy but not really doing it. Not a bad song though. 7/10

7. Until The Day Is Done - Classic kind of REM sound. A good song, nice sounds but not what I'm really after from the band. 7/10

8. Mr Richards - Again more mediocre rock. Not a great song. 7/10

9. Sing For The Submarine - Starting to get very repetitive now. This song just sounds like all the rest. And this is probably the weekest of the bunch. 6/10

10. Horse To Water - This one ups the standard slightly. A good sound and quite catchy. 8/10

11. I'm Gonna DJ - 'If death is pretty final, I collectin vinal, I'm gonna DJ at the end of the world'. Great opening line, however its all down hill from here in. Poor song that I don't tend to listen to. Not a good finish to the album. 6/10

So this did not quite do what I was hoping it would. It is more upbeat than their previous few albums but lacks the brilliance of much earlier work. It just sounds old and tired, maybe they are just past it now. shame.

Overall would give this 7/10

Summary: A decent album but nothing special