REM’s sound takes many forms, and this form seems like it came about after extended listening sessions of the downcast early 90’s era of alt rock, the era REM only dabbled in in precious albums. It’s like they bought a bunch of Radiohead records and let the resulting gloom into their sound. It’s not my favorite REM, despite the consistent quality of the band. There’s always variety on an REM album, but this time the variety also unfortunately applies to recording and mixing quality, which was a result of some tracks being recorded in arenas or during sound checks, which adds an effect of transience but at the same time distracts from the music as you strain to hear the vocals. All that said, it’s still a great work from a band that rarely misses.

From the roundup Jamwise #49 - Best of 1996.