REM's new album Accelerate hits you right in the heart and the gut as you would expect off any reilease by the best band in the world (arguably). From the opening track you are grabbed by the throat and taken on a ride which doesn't let up until the final track. It is the sound of a band pluggng in their guitars and rocking out once more.
Ever since REM ditched the rocking guitars and settled into acoustic splendour the knives have been out for a band who have never been afraid to experiment. The success of Out Of Time and Automatic For The People brought them a massive fanbase who knew only the hits and nothing else. This was never a bad thing as it introduced people to a wonderful band.
Since then it has seemed like every release has had the critics falling pver themselves to bring them down from the lofty perch that they seemed to own. Releases such as Up, Reveal and Around The Sun gave critics the chance to attack a band whom they would once give their life for.
Maybe it's a sign of the media who like to build someone up and then knock them down but what we have to understand is that this is a band who will not bow down to anyones demands. Consider the amount of hit single material that has been released since AFTP. Some of their finest singles have been released since then and then you have the albums.
New Adventures In Hi-Fi gets slated but why? For an album written whilst on tour it is the sound of a band who sum up true Americana just as The Band did with The Last Waltz. Reveal gets a five star review in Q Magazine then a couple of years later gets knocked by the same magazine! Up is a transitional album which they released as a threesome after Bill Berry leaves due to health problems...hard work but rewarding.
It is time the critics realised how REM have evolved and reached ther point where they can go back to their roots with no shame and release an album full of the type of garage rock they used to do. Accelerate is certainly a good if not one of their best albums but in order to have made this they have needed to go on a journey. We are honoured to be around in a time when a band such as REM are making music like this and we should appreciate them for what they are doing.
All this may seem like a love letter from a fan and we should never forget that they are to blame for some poor songs....to put some perspective on this though we should look at other artists who have been going for so long and are still admired by fans and critic alike. For every Shiny Happy People we get a Daysleeper or Walk Unafraid...songs who anyone would be proud to write.
REM do what they want to do disregarding whatever anyone says. They write albums that they want to write and then to sum it all up they tour and play whatever they want to play...hits or obscure album tracks...they are a true fans band.
