REM and the (re) discovery of gloom

The band from Georgia wins again to split the music world with their 13th studio album. One side holds "Around The Sun" for too boring and abwechslungarm. The others, however, inscribedable the album as a highlight of the past year and set "ATS" with REM's best album "Automatic For The People" equal. Certainly, all 13 songs on the album pretty much the same rhythm, but the beautiful, timeless melodies and deeply sad, depressive lyrics contribute that REM have created with "Around The Sun" certainly one of the most profound and darkest albums of recent years after their last album "Reveal" represented the exact opposite.
Here are the songs at a glance:
Leaving New York: For me, right now a REM classics. The song begins for me perfectly the atmosphere and feelings, which you just before you have to leave the city, you love. Only a
deeply sad intro, slow, restrained verses and then a beautiful, highly melodic chorus that lightens the dark mood tremendously. 10/10
Electron Blue: Probably the song that herraussticht most from the others. The song is full packed with synthesizer sounds with a catchy melody that even at Wolfsheim recalls similar sounds in the chorus part and so on carries the dark mood of the album. 10/10
The Outsiders: This song stands out. This is due not least to the guest appearance by rapper Q-Tip, which in my opinion the quality of the song is a little down, but just as the catchy beat and the dark, oppressive melody that carries the entire song. 9/10
Make It All OK: my favorite song on the album. A love song in the vein of "At My Most Beautiful", but even more intense and profound. The song is about a failed relationship and the beautiful melody and the desperate text underline the feeling of such a situation perfectly. 10/10
Final Straw: One of the few songs with which I did not become really warm. As an anti-war song he is very good, but the melody is me on the whole then too abwechslungsarm, especially since one seeks a refrain in vain. 7/10
I Wanted To Be Wrong: A cute, little song, a short for my taste to refrain. The text, however, is so wonderfully cryptic, as one of Michael Stipe has always lived. 8/10
Wanderlust: The only rock song on "Around The Sun". Similarities with sing-along songs like "We Walk" are not hiding. These make "Wanderlust" but to a joyous song, in which you can not hold back and has to sing along. 9/10
Boy In The Well: textually speak to me of the song the most. The gloomiest song by REM for "Autmatic for the People" and full of dark Akustigitarren and a menacing melody. 10/10
Aftermath: For me, the most British of song that REM has ever made. This song is predestined to be played in English pubs, although you will not besitzt.Trotzdem great chorus forced by the rhythm to rock his head back and forth. 9/10
High Speed ​​Train: The beginning is strongly reminiscent of the Smashing Pumpkins, the song as a whole at a very "Parakeet" "Behold The Nightmare!". The mood is just as depressed, the text, however, makes the song more of a gloomy love song. 9/10
The Worst Joke Ever: A song that goes into the ear immediately. Here Michael Stipe tells the story of the cat burglar using a song with chorus grueling and deeply sad lyrics that reflect the Weltschmerz uniquely good. 10/10
The Ascent Of Man: The song has the most alternative chorus of REM history. You either love or hate him. Apart from the song offers a confused text with the now iconic line of text "I'm a cactus, trying to be a canoe" and an organ solo, which is strongly reminiscent of Helge Schneider). 9/10
Around The Sun: This song is the perfect completion of the eponymous album and again shows Michael Stipe vocal abilities. Here, the main song is actually already halfway through the actual songs over before a second part begins, which could be almost as own song. Alternative rock at its best. 10/10
Overall is "Around The Sun", the REM album with the fewest dropouts song. ATS is all of a piece and but can unfold only when full hearing on the piece in its full beauty. Therefore, it is an absolute buy recommendation for anyone willing to invest the time in an album and can inspire great, wonderful melodies.