REM’s reveal is a disappointing album, that takes them back to their former days of repetitive tracks, muddling melodies meddling with minors, and stagnant sounds. In the good old days, the only shining lights coming out of America were their independent and experimental sounds.

Sounding tired and overexposed, it may attract nostalgic fans who want a new "Automatic for the People". But that was then and this is now, and after the upbeat album "Up", where they relied on heavy synth to carry the workload of former-drummer Bill Berry, you would have expected them to carry on the, more interesting, ‘new’ sound.

Fair enough, there are a few songs, I’ve Been High, for example, which have an uptempo ‘modern’ treatment, but not enough to reveal anything new about the band, and far too much is instantly forgettable – In one ear, Out the other.

Imitation of Life is the typical, inimitable REM sound, all jangly Californ-I-A guitars and as such was a sure-fire hit, but why not just rerelease "Out of Time" and save the studio time?

If you want an album that you can rely on then you want go too far wrong by buying this album. If, however, you are looking for something that will provide an insight into a new vision, then you’ll find that this album doesn’t ‘Reveal’ anything.

| Translate with Babblefish |