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R.E.M. Reveal New Album Details

added 19 July 2004 at 10.55

R.E.M. have revealed that their new studio album, the follow up to 2001’s critically acclaimed ‘Reveal', will be released later this year, and will feature the band’s most politicised material to date.

The band have explained that the new as yet untitled record (the group’s thirteenth) will be hitting shops in October, just before the US presidential election, setting the tone for the extremely political nature of the record,.

"For better or worse, the current state of the world has had a profound impact on the way I'm writing," explained frontman Micheal Stipe to Rolling Stone, "But this isn't a downer of a record. Even the most depressing R.E.M. song is going to have a glimmer of hope in it. That's just me, I can't help myself. But there's some stuff on here that's pretty hard-core, and fairly political.

"At this time, as an American, I feel like the angriest pacifist in the world, and I don't think I'm alone in that. It's not an easy time to live through.”

Stipe, along with band members, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills, are currently adding the finishing touches to the album in Miami. Songs expected to appear includev‘On The Fly’, ‘The Outsiders’, ‘Electron Blue,’ ‘Aftermath’, ‘Magnetic North’ a re-recorded version of the anti war track ‘Final Straw’ which was previously only available online and a song called ‘I'm Gonna DJ’ which was written about the 1999 World Trade Organization riots in Seattle.

While the Iraqi war serves as the inspiration for the majority of tracks, Stipe also explained that there are some more traditional tracks present, including love song 'Leaving New York' and pop track 'Wanderlust'.

"There's been a lot of pop music in 2004 that's really seductive, and you don't have to think all that much about it," Stipe explained, "I'm all for that."

The album - produced by Pat McCarthy, who recorded R.E.M.’s 1998 album ‘Up’ as well as ‘Reveal’ – also features the recording debut of the band’s new full-time drummer, Bill Rieflin, formerly with Ministry.

"Peter brought him in," Stipe explained. "He thought he could pull us in a different direction, and [Rieflin] really responds to the singer, which is great."

As previously reported R.E.M. are expected to undertake a world tour alongside the release of the record.

Songs expected to appear on the record include ‘On The Fly’, ‘The Outsiders’, 'Leaving New York’, ‘Wanderlust,’ ‘Electron Blue,’ ‘Aftermath’ and ‘Magnetic North.’

Tagged as R.E.M., archive

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