Because I still know a couple of people in high places in Athens, I've once again managed to get my hands on the new R.E.M. album a couple of weeks before it is released. (ed. note - I feel a bit less special having found that you, too, can listen to the whole album here) Unfortunately it coincided with the new Elvis albums and the "London Calling" re-release. As a result, "Around the Sun" has had to fight for some time in the CD rotation.

Well, I finally spent some quality time with it this afternoon and I was very pleasantly surprised. By my estimation Michael and the boys have never made a "bad" album. Their last two, however, haven't really excited me. The combination of their slow morph to a more electronic sound and Stipe's relatively lazy lyrics really didn't add up to what I was wanting to hear. It was almost as though the departure of drummer Bill left them unsure as how to re-invent themselves. As a result, "Up" and "Reveal" wore out their welcome pretty quickly.

"Around the Sun" is a beautiful combination of the past and present R.E.M. To my ears it sounds like "Automatic For the People" meets "Reveal" and has the potential to spawn a few big singles. Stipe has said that it's a very politically inspired album but, frankly, the political tones are mostly very subtle. It's not like a 2004 version of "Document." If there's any justice, though, the first single "The Final Straw" will be a smash hit.

As I raise my head to broadcast my objection
As your latest triumph draws the final straw
Who died and lifted you up to perfection?
And what silenced me is written into law

If hatred makes a play on me tomorrow
And forgiveness takes a back seat to revenge
There's a hurt down deep that has not been corrected
There's a voice in me that says you will not win.
-Buck/Mills/Stipe