What's he on about now?

In case the articles, essays and opinions throughtout this site just weren't enough for you, here's my online diary (a.k.a. 'blog'). It's as close as you'll come to the inside of my head, so don't say I didn't warn you
(and remember, you can always e-mail me if you love or loathe anything you're about to read)...


   Friday, October 15, 2004

I WANTED TO BE WRONG

Oh, the pain of pop disappointment. The new R.E.M. album "Around The Sun" came out last week and it's...well...dull. Musically and even lyrically, the bulk of the new record sounds flat and uninspired and it's a real shock to this long-time fan.

The band has struggled somewhat since the departure of drummer Bill Berry in 1997 -- leading many critics to start writing glowing obituaries for the band -- but the uneven "Up" and "Reveal" still have several fantastic songs on them. This time out, there's the pleasant but conventional first single, "Leaving New York," the lyrically interesting but musically bland "Make It All Okay," and a bouncy ode to midlife angst, "Wanderlust" -- decent enough but nowhere close to the band's previous heights. Even the requisite anti-Bush tune, "Final Straw," falls flat.

The review on AllMusic is unfortunately spot-on:
This is as slow and ballad-heavy as "Automatic for the People," but where that album was filled with raw emotion and weird detours, "Around the Sun" is tasteful and streamlined, from its fussy production to its somber songwriting.

R.E.M. virtually created alternative rock nearly 25 years ago and they're still brilliant as far as I'm concerned but their new album is..."tasteful". Oh dear.