REM
Around the Sun
(Warner Brothers)
\Leaving New York,"" the first single off REM's latest offering, Around the Sun, is the kind of great REM song that could be one of two things: a good indicator of a fantastic album, or a lone wolf on an otherwise disappointing album. Much like ""Imitation Of Life,"" the single from 2001's Reveal, ""Leaving New York"" falls under the latter category.
Around the Sun is a very depressing album, not only because it is reminiscent of REM's stark masterpiece Automatic for the People, but also because it falls so conspicuously short of that album's brilliance. It comes as no surprise, however, as their albums throughout the '90s were disappointing at best. Only the most optimistic fan could expect a U2-like career revival for REM; since losing long-time band member Bill Berry in 1997 their creative spark has been absent.
The music is generally bland, with a tendency towards repetitive melody lines that continually rehash older REM songs without ever living up to them. The overall sound is equally nondescript; songs start with acoustic guitars and often build to a cluttered end, incorporating electronic flourishes, various keyboards and orchestral strings along the way.
Lyrically, Around the Sun finds singer Michael Stipe constantly speaking of himself, which often comes off as egocentric. It's possible the album was intended as some sort of self healing statement, but the songs, which generally don't move beyond the ""I""/ ""You"" characteristic, sound tired and eventually wear thin. The subject matter is standard fare; lyrics range from dealing with loneliness and fear of love to occasional self doubt in songs such as ""The Ascent Of Man"": ""So hesitation pulled me back / I'm so in love I don't attract / And with my hands tied I won't crack.""
Around the Sun does have its moments. A surprise collaboration with rapper Q-Tip makes ""The Outsiders"" shine, while ""I Wanted To Be Wrong"" has a great melody. One very respectable aspect of Around The Sun is that, in this election year, REM didn't cash into the trend by making an overtly political album, but rather packs an anti-war statement into one track, ""Final Straw"": ""If hatred makes a play on me tomorrow / And forgiveness takes a back seat to revenge...There's a voice in me that says you will not win.""
Perhaps one day REM will re-approach their mid-eighties zenith. On Around the Sun they've certainly tried to, ending up with something only slightly better than their output within recent years. There's obviously potential there; on the final track ""Around The Sun,"" Stipe sings ""Hold on world 'cause you don't know what's coming."" Let's hope so.
