A new, rock-heavy album acknowledged by the band as a refocusing after the spotty Around the Sun (which has grown on me, I must say). They previewed many of the new tracks live at SXSW last week, to much positive buzz.

The album will be released on April 1st, but starting today, you can stream it for free on iLike.com. I like what I hear.

Thanks. I'll check it out. Looking forward to that CD arriving next Thursday!! Still waiting for tickets at the United Center to go on sale. I asked my buddy Luis last night at work if he wanted to go (since I am going to go see Radiohead (and NIN!!) with him at Lollapalooza) because he's never seen them and said oh yeah that would be sweet. So, he'll get to witness me in all my fanboy glory!    

Sounds very promising. On a distantly related note, I've been delivering mail to sometime REM sideman Ken Stringfellow (Posies, Big Star) this week. Yesterday, his dog was out, barked at me & prevented my duties being fulfilled. Today he was back behind his gate. I don't know if it's actually HIS dog, but for this story's purposes, I'm just saying that it is!!! Rock on, REM!!!

As a sort of bookend, I've been listening to Murmur, their first LP (yes, I know, after the EP Chronic Town) as well this week. This new album is definitely not a "return to their roots", if anything it hearkens back to the full-bodied buzz of Monster (which I liked).

But it doesn't really sound like '94 stadium rock, either. It sounds like a 2008 void of electronic influence (which they obviously got out of their system with the last three). And I'm surprised with how fast and tight the entire thing is.

In short, I can't wait to buy Accelerate on that archaic device known as the CD. And I'm kinda relieved it's not bogged down with DVD extras and free swag and whatever else the record company can tack on to discourage people from just downloading it.

thank you LogicHat! gonna buy the cd when it hits the music store here april 1st :)

I am jamming to Accelerate right now. WOW!! It's fantastic! R.E.M. fans have been waiting for a CD like this since 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi. I wouldn't compare it to Monster because it's not feedback-y, I would compare it to Document and "Living Well Is The Best Revenge" is the best opening track they've had since "Finest Worksong  ("Drive" notwithstanding). I hear a little Reckoning in it too. "Until The Day Is Done" definitely has a "Time After Time" feel to it. And "Houston" sounds like it could have been on Fables (except for the Hammond organ). It's definitely their best CD in 12 years that's for f-ing sure. Okay, the title track sounds like Monster...all I can say is this upcoming tour is looking very promising because this new stuff will rock live, so hopefully since this is a harkening back to glory days, they will kick out more IRS era jams on this tour. And Kirk, I liked Around The Sun for the most part. I thought it was a "complete" sounding CD but this one is definitely that. Reveal was good, but only half the CD had "great tracks" and the other half was okay. I'll be listening to Accelerate nonstop for a while, I just now I am.         

Just finished listening to it myself, now I'm ripping it to my MP3 player.

I'd say Accelerate sounds like if Bill Berry had stayed on for one more album. Definite New Adventure feel to it, with less acoustic interludes. Buck/Mills/Stipe are coming to NC in June, but about 2 1/2-hours away from my home. I might just have to make the trip, though.

"Until The Day Is Done" definitely has a "Time After Time" feel to it.

Agreed. 

You owe it to yourself to go see them live, if only because you have become quite the R.E.M. fan. You make me proud.  

update: Sweet!! Pre-sale for the United Center show is tomorrow at 10:00a.m.!!