eMusic Review
That's them in the spotlight, all right. Bolstered by an improbable, mandolin-driven four-and-a-half-minute pop juggernaut, Out of Time finally provided R.E.M. with a song that could be referenced should grandparents ever ask who they were.
While certain corners of the rock press had for years referred to the group as "America's Best Rock Band," Out of Time was the first moment R.E.M. ever sounded truly American. Pulling mostly from country and folk music, "Out of Time" contains some of the group's loveliest moments, like the pleading "Half A World Away" and the jangling, mysterious (and mostly wordless) "Endgame." More than any of their previous efforts, Out of Time feels like a collaborative effort; bassist Mike Mills assumes lead vocals on two of the record's stronger tracks — the dizzying '60s pop pastiche "Near Wild Heaven" and the hurtling "Texarkana" — and the whole endeavor would be unthinkable without the rich, red-orange vocals of fellow Georgian Kate Pierson, who here sounds more like a member of the band than a friend along for the ride. Though it may not have aged particularly well, KRS-One's appearance on "Radio Song" served to push R.E.M. into sonically unfamiliar territory, deepening the irony that the group's… read more »
