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Rating:
Relentless and methodical, R.E.M. return to offer their music three years after Reveal.
Reviewing "Around The Sun" is very easy and, at the same time, quite challenging. I could dismiss it by saying it's the "usual" R.E.M. album, or I could sing the praises of the production, as always elegant and an essential support to the albums of the three (former) guys from Athens.
The style that permeates the album is undoubtedly the unmistakable R.E.M. style: melancholic ballads, soft and polished sounds, Stipe's charismatic voice in the foreground. Listening is always pleasant, but it lacks the depth that allowed other R.E.M. works to endure over time, to leave something in the soul of the listener. The songs unfold without delivering surprises or dramatic twists. The melodies are often a bit predictable, and the presence of "Leaving New York" as the first track gives the unpleasant sensation that the best course is served first.
"Around The Sun" will appeal to die-hard fans and casual listeners. Less so to those who expect great albums from great artists.
Tracklist and Samples
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Other reviews
By francis
"'Leaving New York' is the best song of the year and would alone be worth the price of the CD."
"Around The Sun presents R.E.M. as melancholic minstrels in a world moving too fast, forgetting life's true meaning."
By enryka1
It is a slow and harmonious album, in which one can find a subtle vein of hope.
Stipe’s voice emerges once again, that voice that continues to deliver emotions, that continues to accompany the listener on a mental journey towards the world of hidden dreams.
By NickGhostDrake
R.E.M. have been everything to me. They’ve been my youth, my lost innocence, and my anger that still remains.
Around the sun opens up to you so slowly that it seems stationary.
By STIPE
R.E.M. is now like a three-legged dog, but still a dog that manages to walk.
Not the best R.E.M. album but not a bad one either.
By Starblazer
From the first note to the last I was simply Mesmerized. Hypnotized. Fascinated.
I bow and take my hat off to the ugliest and least inspired album by R.E.M., the lowest point in their career, a true misstep.
