Out Of Time - REM (1991)

ideated from: a favorite album that starts with ‘O’. Only two chunks left, and then I have to figure something else out.

I’ve talked before (albeit not in an REM writeup, oddly) about how much I admire REM’s progression from Athens GA scenesters to a unique vision of what they wanted for their music. This record is not a complete curve-breaker on that graph, but it is a steep step up.

Musically, it’s much less rock n roll and more organic and Americana-sounding than their previous work. They also stretch out their songs to allow for some space, letting things fill in more slowly and not relying so much on Peter Buck’s guitar riffs. Buck, in particular, finds a lot of new ways to contribute besides the signature jangle guitar of their early work.

I wouldn’t really say that REM are amazing musicians, not in the sense of being virtuosic. But the four of them have such a great rapport that they can do things that are truly more than the sum of the parts. They’d venture even further out in the next decade, with this as a launching point.

I won’t blame you if you skip Shiny Happy People, but it does fit into the aesthetic of the record better than you might think.

Tracks I Liked

Low - I can’t think of a time when I wouldn’t listen to this.

Belong - Peak REM. Absurd lyrics that still have such resonance, great vocal harmonies, and noticable contributions from everyone.

Country Feedback / Me In Honey - the one-two punch at the end of the record is REM at their very best. The pained, gothic gloom of Country Feedback giving way to the foot-stomping, fist-pumping shout-along of Me In Honey is one of my favorite moments on the record. Give yourself time to listen to both back to back. You’ll thank me.