Accelerate
| R.E.M.
Accelerate
Accelerate is the 14th studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on March 31, 2008 in Europe, and on April 1 in North America. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
R.E.M. acknowledge a few misteps with their 14th album Accelerate, trading the sleepy studio experiments of their recent LPs for renewed vigor and louder guitars.
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Consequence of Sound
Accelerate isn’t going to revolutionize alternative rock like say Fables of Reconstruction or Monster, but the simple fact that it sustains to be a consistent, highly enjoyable record is enough to put a smile on any fan or listener’s face.
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Rolling Stone
One of the best records R.E.M. have ever made.
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A.V. Club Music
With Accelerate, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills sound like a band again.
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Uncut
Accelerate is a simple, pragmatic record built on an uncomfortable truth: sometimes, even the best bands have to retrace their steps, if only to remind themselves what they’re really good at.
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Drowned in Sound
Chances are R.E.M. wouldn’t have made a record as good as this if they hadn’t been stung so hard by the criticism of the last few records.
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The Guardian
Accelerate isn't quite as irresistible as some people might have you believe, but you can't help feeling glad they stuck around to make it. DLT, it seems, is as wrong as ever: their career isn't over yet.
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Slant
Accelerate does succeed as a focused, skillfully controlled rock record and R.E.M.‘s most start-to-finish satisfying album since 1996’s still-underrated New Adventures in Hi-Fi.
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BBC
We should be thankful, and not a little amazed.
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SPIN
R.E.M. lay no claim to being the biggest rock group on earth –leave that empty title to their contemporary U2 — but if they need an award, here’s one that fits: Most Improved.
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The Quietus
A return, it could be said, to form.
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Pop Matters
Terse, exceptional set of engaging rock.
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IGN
Athens legends return with a newfound sense of purpose fueled by retro-bution.
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Music OMH
Bask in R.E.M.’s finest 35 minutes of the naughties, thankful that an old friend you thought you’d lost has triumphantly returned.
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Sputnik Music
Eleven alternative pop songs with no excess fat around the edges.
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Adrian's Album Reviews
If you've been put off REM at any point in the last decade, you can come back now. They've made an album it's cool to admit to liking to.
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Punk Rock Theory
“Accelerate” however shows that R.E.M. still has what made them so great back when they started in the 80ies and I couldn’t be happier!
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Paste Magazine
The pedal isn’t on the floor, but the speedometer’s moving in the right direction.
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Ultimate Classic Rock
R.E.M. careens into the future with Accelerate.
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Sabotage Times
There was joy in the post-Bill Berry era.
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All Music
The very modesty of Accelerate is what makes it such a successful rebirth as R.E.M. no longer denies what they were or what they are, and, in doing so, they offer a glimpse of what they could be once again.
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Jim DeRogatis
The band's most consistent and focused.
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The Music Box
Concise.
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Tiny Mix Tapes
It's heartening to see that they're still capable of writing a song better than "All the Way To Reno."
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Hooks and Harmony
R.E.M. FINALLY BEGINS TO ACCELERATE.
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Louder than War
Accelerate was never meant as a mea culpa or a retreat into the past – as its name suggests, it was about forward momentum and letting R.E.M. rock. Ten years on, it never once stalls.
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NME
REM have gone back in order to forge themselves a brighter future, and for that they should be applauded. Maybe they’ll even become cool to like again.
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Blinded by Sound
My feelings about this record are still a blurry picture, but the haze is lifting with each listen. Accelerate won't be the first album I reach for when I'm in the mood for R.E.M., but I won't be deleting it from my iPod.
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No Depression
R.E.M. has found the path again.
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Chicago Sun Times
R.E.M. rocks again.
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uDiscover Music
Accelerate had brought R.E.M. right back into focus.
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The Marquee
R.E.M. accelerates back into the spotlight, but it’s not really a ‘return’.
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Independent
The album is over-heavy with stodge and weighty riffs, and short on subtlety. It sounds as if, in seeking to revitalise their muse, the group have confused sheer power with progress.
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Steve Hoffman
This isn't the greatest album in REM's career. It's no "Document". It's no "Murmur". It's no "Life's Rich Pageant". But it is a very good album, and a step in the right direction after ten years of whiny pop smear.
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New York
R.E.M. have shown themselves to be a capable rock band, but in their prime, they were a much better un-rock band, and those songs still cast an inescapable shadow.
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Mark's Record Reviews
MUCH better!
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Contact Music
Excellent.
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John McFerrin Music Reviews
Good/Very Good.
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Lincoln Journal Star
After a decade of what singer Michael Stipe calls unfocused studio efforts, R.E.M. picks up the pace on its first album since 2004.
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Don Ignacio's Music Reviews
Funny things happen when you don't try so hard.
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Variety
R.E.M.'s latest is a joy ride in a muscle car with care and caution thrown to wind.
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Diffuser
Although R.E.M. disbanded in 2011, they left behind a rich and extensive catalog capable of keeping even the most ardent music fans busy for quite a while.
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Relevant Magazine
There is no lack of great songs on Accelerate.
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The Wall Street Journal
R.E.M.'s most relevant album in years.
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30 Days Out
The new R.E.M. album is a return to form as well as a catalog of the band’s best moments. But hey, it rocks, and it’s a great album to take into the summer.
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Exclaim!
Accelerate is easily their best album since Automatic For The People and their most fiery since Document.
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Ars Technica
R.E.M. pushes limits with Accelerate.
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No Ripcord
They might not break your heart these days, and they might not have the same clout, but R.E.M are at least heading in the right direction, and that’s definitely a good thing.
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RTE
While 'Accelerate' won't stop Stipe gazing off into the middle distance on an episode of 'Classic Albums', it's far more effective than many expected it to be and has recharged the batteries of those making the songs and those on the receiving end.
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SF Gate
The band merely sounds as if it's grasping at relevance while delivering what is, in fact, its ninth- or 10th-best release.
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The Solute
With this album, R.E.M. still sounded like they had some energy in them.
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The Austin Chronicle
A moody flair.
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Riverfront Times
The album lives up to its name. It’s loud, quick and dirty, spinning by so fast that it takes multiple listens to sink in.
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