New R.E.M outing uses
love as theme for entire album
By
Kyle Boggs
Summer Reporter
Love is a common theme found in many songs; however,
in R.E.M.'s new effort, "Reveal," love is the central drive for the
entire album.
Love songs can be stemmed from many different
angles. In "Reveal," lead singer Michael Stipe sings about every aspect
of the emotion.
From loss of, loss with, yearning for, dreaming
of and imagining a perfect love, Stipe brings confusion, melancholy
and pain into each track.
"Disappear" and "Beat a Drum" discuss a great
wanting for love and the pain that comes without it, while songs like
"I'll Take the Rain," illustrate Stipe’s feeling of frustration
and loss of love.
Different from past albums, the band experiments
with synthesizers and spacey guitar effects overdubbed throughout
the album. This gives many songs a mysterious luster that, in some
songs, hasn't been pulled off as well since Pink Floyd. The best example
of this is found in the album’s opening song, "The Lifting."
The song mixes these effects with a piano and the hypnotic lyrics,
"now close your eyes, and start to breathe/ allow the noise to recede…/…allow
yourself to drift and fly away/ but you just stay."
"All the Way to Reno (you're gonna be a star)"
continues many of the same overdubbed effects, but doesn't work as
well as other songs.
Some effects seem forced and unnatural. The guitar
effects in the song give the impression that the song is played underwater.
Though the chorus ("you know what you are/ you know you're gonna be
a star) does serve the song well in context, Stipe seems to dwell
on it too much as he repeats it more than ten times.
"Imitation of Life" is the albums strongest and
best put together song. The verse and chorus flow in and out of each
other very easily. The radio-friendly pop beat and catchy chorus provides
a song that R.E.M. fans will be sure to enjoy.
Overall, "Reveal" is a solid album with a well
put together collection of relaxed songs. The album maintains R.E.M.'s
niche as a cogitative mid-tempo band. R.E.M. has made a lot of great
progress with this album, and at the same time reflects on the bands
best work.
R.E.M.
"Reveal"
Warner Bros.
3 and a half stars
