r.e.m.

If someone ever made a Mount Rushmore for early 1990s alternative rock music, R.E.M. would fit nicely next to the Counting Crows and Radiohead. And while all of these bands probably have their best days behind them, each has released new albums this year. The most recent addition is R.E.M.'s Accelerate, the group's 14th studio album and latest in a career that spans 25 years.

Of course, any R.E.M. production comes rife with politically loaded lyrics. When discussing Accelerate, lead vocalist Michael Stipe admitted that, "When the empire is going down the toilet, it's easy to write great, angry songs." Indeed, many of the tracks seem to disintegrate into diatribes about the current political climate.

On "Man-Sized Wreath," Stipe sings about the "pageantry of injustice lined up in front of me." In "Houston," the band comments that "if the storm doesn't kill me, the government will." Finally, "Until the Day Is Done" begins with the warning that "the verdict is dire, the country's in ruins."

Yet, despite the band's political motivations, Accelerate's best work comes when the group ditches their agenda and chooses to sing about the less important issues we all face. "Living Well Is the Best Revenge" is an up-tempo, guitar-driven track about, well, I'm not really sure yet. The highlight of the album comes in the first single, "Supernatural Superserious," which becomes an ode to the teenage universals of humiliation, exaggeration and general awkwardness. Here, rather than bemoaning the injustices of the modern world, Stipe simply advises his listeners "to enjoy yourself with no regrets." The song comes as a welcome change to the tone of the album.

While a definite improvement over their previous disappointing release, Accelerate is unlikely to go down as the band's best work. And in clocking in at just under thirty-five minutes, there isn't even much time to enjoy Accelerate. But what is there goes to show that, even in the late stages of their career, R.E.M. is staying true to their roots.