R.E.M. is one of the very best bands of the last twenty years (I'm sure Independent publisher Josh Warburton will attest to this as he's one of their biggest fans), and have always reminded me a little of U2. Not stylistically mind you, but certainly the bands' mentalities are similar as are their chosen roads to success. That is, until the past couple of years.

In the early stage of their career, R.E.M. became indie rock Gods, appealing mostly to the college crowd with absolute gems including their first record, 1983's Murmur, an album that many hardcore fans still believe to be their best. For myself, it's a tight race between Green (even if that particular album does contain "Stand," and tune so silly even the band doesn't like to talk about it anymore) and the stunning musical majesty that is "Automatic For the People."

As popular as R.E.M. was getting in the 80's, it wouldn't be until 1991's Out of Time that this Athens Georgia quartet would become superstars. Out of Time was without a doubt their biggest commercial success up until that point, and was beloved critically as well. Like U2, it appeared that R.E.M. would alternate between more organic efforts (think Automatic For the People and the vastly underrated Reveal) and more adventurous ventures (think the amazing rock opus Monster and the hit and miss Up).

Unlike U2 however, R.E.M.'s popularity would greatly diminish with the release of Up. Why? Well, I believe there were several factors. One of the biggest, was the departure of drummer Bill Berry. R.E.M. always maintained that they would function as a unit. When Berry decided it was time to hang up the drumsticks, the rest of the band realized they weren't ready to call it quits, so they opted to keep the music machine going. Personally, I was never bothered that the band continued to push forth after Berry's departure. These guys still had more tunes to write and I admired that they went with their gut rather than sticking to an insignificant statement they made years earlier. Besides, Berry was fine with the decision so why shouldn't they be. My problem with Up (an album that I liked but hardly loved) was it's pacing. It just didn't work as a collective. I love "Lotus," "Daysleeper" and few other choice tracks, but as a whole, it just didn't work for me.

Reveal on the other hand, was an album no one really gave a fair chance to. It was a return to the old sound while being a strong push forward at the same time. It was also an extremely diverse effort offering up melodic epics (i.e. "The Lifting"), old school sounding R.E.M. pop songs (i.e. "Imitation of Life"), and Beach Boys style harmonizing (i.e. "Summer Turns to High"). Alas, most R.E.M. fans didn't like it. As far as I'm concerned, it's there loss.

This brings us to their latest record, Around the Sun. And in case anyone is wondering why I've rambled so much in this piece about the R.E.M. of the past, it's quite simple. It's because I don't have much to say about Around the Sun. I put off writing this review for quite a while because I was hoping that perhaps at some point, this record would take a hold on me. It didn't. Even more disheartening is the fact that I just saw this band live, and they were absolutely amazing.

Simply put, Around the Sun is the most disappointing record of R.E.M.'s strong, lengthy career. Is it a horrible album? No. But in a way, it's worse. It's lethargic. There just doesn't seem to be any magic in this effort.

U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb suffers slightly from Bono's weathered voice and moments of weak writing, but ultimately, that album is saved by a healthy dose of the front man's passion and his band mates spectacular musical ability. R.E.M.'s Around the Sun suffers from the opposite. Michael Stipe's voice is as sharp as ever, and he's still a terrific lyricist. The problem here is that whenever I listen to this record, I don't feel like his heart is in it.

Peter Buck and Mike Mills are outstanding musicians, and while they are solid enough on Around the Sun, their arrangements are so slight and so simplified, you'd never believe these were the same guys that played on Monster. I didn't expect some sort of experimental explosion, but a shade of complexity or rock and roll would have been nice.

There are some decent tunes to be found on Around the Sun. I like "Leaving New York" (although this probably wasn't the best choice for a first single), "Electron Blue," and "I Wanted to Be Wrong," but overall, I really didn't connect with this album. It's bogged down by disposable fare like "The Outsiders" (featuring a guest spot by rapper Q-Tip). Even the sporadic political posturing wasn't all that effective. In the end, I almost wish R.E.M. would have tried their hearts out and made an awful album than to just sleepwalk and go through the motions. That's sort of what Around the Sun feels like. A "going through the motions" record. Still, if you have a chance to see these guys live, go. They put on a high energy show. And if you're lucky enough to see them on their current tour, you'll get to hear a tune they ended up cutting from the new record. It's a shame too, because it was stronger than anything on the finished product.