Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 21, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, October 1, 2004 Page: 39 of 68
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music
R.E.M. HAS LEFT THE STUDIO: From left, Mills, Buck and Stipe abandon their creative instincts on Around the Sun.
By Gilbert Garcia Pop Music Critic
Around the Sun
R.E.M.
Warner
Although they’re con-
sidered legends, the past
several years have been
rocky for R.E.M. Since
1994’s Monster — the
last album on which Bill
Berry played drums —
the group’s sound radical-
ly varied from album to album. Out of necessity,
R.E.M. began wandering in unknown directions.
Although not a permanent feature, electronic
beats and spiffy effects peppered the trio’s new
work. Sloppy production during R.E.M.’s early
days actually worked in their favor. But with
electronica playing a larger role, the slipshod
approach only sterilized the band’s new sound.
However, Michael Stipe and crew would
occasionally backtrack to their early alt-rock
roots, and the overall trend was unmistakable.
While Around the Sun, the group’s 13th record,
is not as experimental as 1998’s Up, it indicates
that the “new R.E.M.” is barely interested in
what they’re doing, yet they continue to plod
ahead.
Around the Sun leaves one wondering if
R.E.M. has already disappeared. Peter Buck’s
jangly solos, once a hallmark, have mostly been
replaced by strummed acoustics. A keyboard
often substitutes Mike Mills’ punchy bass. And
most surprising, Michael Stipe’s curious non-
sequiturs and imaginative lyrics have now been
reduced to sporadic string of interesting couplets.
Made up entirely of ballads, Around the Sun
could barely raise a pulse, much less energize lis-
teners. It would be easy to say that Around the
Sun was simply overproduced, overdubbed and
fiddled to death. But with such a frustratingly dis-
passionate work, it’s not clear there was much to
work with in the first place.
They may just be kids from Sweden, but the
all-woman group Sahara Hotnights can do the
sneering-rock strut every bit as well as
Chrissie Hynde or Joan Jett. Hitting ITS.
shores in 2002 with Jennie Bomb, an
explosive mix of sludgy guitars and punk,
the foursome quickly found a place in the
newly resurgent American garage scene. Their
latest, Kiss and Tell, is more polished but still
rocks like no one's business, keeping these hot-
ties in a guitar-crunching high gear.
— Gilbert Garcia
Trees, 2709 Elm St. Oct. 5 Doors at 8 p.m.
$12.50 advance, $15 day of show. 214-748-
5009.
HOT AND BOTHERED
P,
Trinity
RESBYTERIAN CHURCH (usaj
A welcoming church in the Oak Cliff community, invites you
into its ministry, service and life without regard to race, ethnic
origin, gender, marital status, handicap, age, sexual orientation,
worldly condition, or any other reason not related to profession
of faith.
901 N. Zang Blvd. Dr. Julie Adkins, Pastor
(Between Davis & Colorado) Wayne Davis, Dir. Of Music
in North Oak Cliff Danny Ray, Organist
214.948.7134
www.TrinityPresDallas.org
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10.01.04 I dallas voice I 39
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Vercher, Dennis. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 21, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, October 1, 2004, newspaper, October 1, 2004; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth616444/m1/39/?q=%22gay+urban+truth+squad%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.