REM is a big rock band, but this album suggests they’re at their best when the music isn’t led by big rock guitars. The best songs are the exceptions to the rule; the ones that take a more subtle approach in the way of sonics.

How The West Was Won wouldn’t sound out of place in a jazz lounge. E-Bow The Letter flirts with a country twang. Electrolite, which takes you up LA’s Mulholland Drive, is a thing of beauty. The heavier stuff can’t quite compare.

my rating : 3 of 5

1996