R.E.M.
Around The Sun
Craft Recordings
Released 07/14/23
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Although most R.E.M. aficionados tend to gravitate toward the early and middle phases of the band’s storied discography, there are plenty of unsung gems to be found in the latter third of their 15-albums-deep repertoire. Case in point is the group’s thirteenth studio album Around The Sun, originally released in 2004 and now reissued on 180-gram vinyl courtesy of Craft Recordings.
Met with a lukewarm critical reception upon its release, Around The Sun was also scrutinized by the band members themselves, arguably owing to the fact that they had established their own creative bar unattainably high with their widely beloved previous efforts. “I think the songs on Around The Sun are great, but in the process of recording we lost our focus as a band,” Michael Stipe confided to Q Magazine in 2008.
Despite the widespread criticism, the album still managed to top the charts in multiple countries including the UK and “Leaving New York,” “Electron Blue and the intriguing Q-Tip collaboration “The Outsiders” remain essential listening for R.E.M. fans.
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