Murmur

Al het drammerige geneuzel dat het latere R.E.M. zo onuitstaanbaar maakt, zonder het hitpotentieel.

bleh, precies een grote berg puree zonder zout. kleine stukjes van nummers klinken alsof ze iets gaan worden, ma t valt dan toch helemaal plat. wie dacht er da het een goed idee was om op disc 2 live versies te zetten? eerste album dat ik niet heb uitgeluisterd, niet omdat het per se zo slecht was, gewoon omdat het zo verveelt

My favorite band of all time. I don't know if it's being contrarian, or just an opinion informed by a billion listens to each of their albums during the four-piece era, but I disagree with the mild consensus that this is a top-3 R.E.M. album. It's top-5 or 6, IMHO, but in terms of the original laconic jangle-pop sound, Reckoning feels like Murmur Evolved. To be clear: This is not a dig! It's more like saying Beggar's Banquet isn't as good as Sticky Fingers! The things that work here are fundamental to the band's DNA. Opaque lyrics sung beautifully, with really wonderful backup croons from Mills. Driving rhythms, even on the mildest of songs, with enough rock and pop to stay propulsive. (I air drum the fill before the last chorus repeat on "Radio Free Europe" every time I hear it.) And above all, Peter Buck's guitar work. His sound is simply unmistakable. There should have been graffiti all over UGA about him like there was in London about Clapton. My favorite songs on this album, like the kudzu on the cover, remind you that these dudes are Southern, even if they are art-rock-pop weirdos. The twang that comes along with "Sitting Still" "9-9" "Shaking Through" "West of the Fields" is great little sweetener for me. I firmly believe that they perfected the sound on Reckoning ("what if we built the whole plane out of 'Sitting Still'?"), and then it was off to the races with constant reinventions and innovation built around their core sound. The only reason it's not a perfect album is that it's just a *little* bit inferior to the several perfect albums (Reckoning, Automatic for the People, New Adventures in Hi-Fi) that they'd go on to make.

2.5 - not a bad album but nothing amazing.

not my fav

Veldig uinspirerende

I know and like R.E.M. I currently have 53 songs liked by them on Spotify with 3 songs from this album "Radio Free Europe", "Talk About the Passion", and "Catapult". Looking forward to diving into this and hopefully adding to my collection of songs. This came out when I was at the end of my senior year in high school. I don't think I heard it until I was in college that fall. It was VERY different from everything else that was out at the time. I liked the sound of it but it really annoyed me (at the time) that I couldn't understand what he was saying and when I could hear what he was saying I didn't understand most of it. I do remember being slightly annoyed that Rolling Stone magazine picked it as the Album of the Year ahead of the Police (Synchronicity) and U2 (War) - since they were both my 2 favorite bands at the time. Although, I did think Synchronicity was the worst album that the Police had released - so I got why that didn't win. It's interesting, I went back and found that article in Rolling Stone. They also had asked some artists their opinions on the best things they were listening to that year - Bono of U2 had Murmur on his list of the best stuff. After just listening 3 times in a row and clicking like when something grabbed me - I realized at the end that I had liked ALL of the songs. That means I just got to add 9 "new to me" songs to my collection. Glad I got a chance to revisit this in depth! Liked songs on Spotify: 12/12 (perfect album) Rating: 5/5

Radio free europe, sitting still, and west of the fields are all really cool sounding Overall a really unique sounding album, like Lynard Skynrd guitar, southern sounds, and a southern voice to match but some very punky and alternative vibes to it. I can see why my mom likes them so much, i would've loved them if i were around when she was coming up

Bättre än förväntat. Jag tänkte ge 1/2 men det blir 3. Fortfarande inte min smak, men kul upplevelse. Lite mesiga låtar bara.

not as good as automatic for the people but still pretty fine.

One of the greatest debuts of all time. Sinister and dense with random lyrics and haunting melodies. Re-listenability is off the charts and it's fun to decipher lyrics even 45 years later (and they generally don't mean anything).

Just a little something to take the edge off after a few disappointing ones. Once upon a time, this was what “indie” and “college rock” sounded like. When I went to college it sounded like Dispatch. I'd take this any day. The thing of course, though, is this is their first. The production sounds like a few college kids instead of the commercial juggernaut they would become. The songs are fine but they haven't yet really become REM. One might argue that happens at Document. But still, lower-fidelity or not, Radio Free Europe still has glimmers of all of it. The harmonies, the jungle, the Michael Stipe style of song craft. I don't know that this is important outside of the fact that any album REM debuted with would be important because they themselves are important, but it's a proper genesis album, something that arrives less than fully formed but with lots of promise, and what it lacks in the big songs it makes up for by being consistent, which isn't always REM's forte. I'm kinda surprises how often the sound and production of this feels like early Meat Puppets or Flaming Lips, bands that were coming up at around the same time but probably wouldn't have crossed paths often. Obviously REM has always been doing something a bit more tuneful and normative, but I was surprised to hear shades of that at all. Again, no idea if this would be as charming to a newbie to REM as it is to someone who can trace what's going on here to those huge albums at the turn of the next decade, but I think a 3* is fair.

The seeds of what REM would grow to become are here and plain to see, but it maybe doesn’t match their highest highs for my tastes. Wouldn’t begrudge anyone saying this was their favourite of their work though. More of their unique sound starts creeping in towards the back end of the album, and I’d personally prefer to put this at a 3.5 if I could.

I really like R.E.M. and I know this first album is sometimes listed as their best (not for me). In any case, this contains two of my favourite tracks ("Talking about the passion" and "Perfect Circle"). And, apart from those, a bunch of very good songs ("Radio Free Europe", "Pilgrimage", "Sitting Still", "West of the Fields"). So, definitely between 4 and 5 stars for me. It's 4,5 ;-)

I have no idea what they are singing about, but perhaps neither do they. Decent album but I feel better and more consistent was to come...

This is good because it's REM but unfortunately it's another victim of this band having far, far greater albums that deserve a spot on this list and makes me think this one, which is... Fine, probably could have been cut so another artist could get a spot and bring some variety to this list.

Not my fav

Quality. We enjoyed this a lot.

It depends what you're looking for I think for this album. It's not flashy or engaging in the way some music it is. It's more just one of those albums that require a setting. Quiet. Maybe a snowstorm or rain. Definitely dark not bright morning. Probably a good listen with coffee or a three finger whiskey if you're more refined than I am.

this one surprised me. kind of classic punk vibes but chill? considering i only know of their most famous tracks which i hate, i was not looking forward to this but it was decently enjoyable.

Listened

Project 1001 #2 R.E.M - Murmur Pre thoughts - I know of R.E.M obviously but again never fully sat down with an album. I like the song Losing My Religion. Is it like that? Post thoughts - I think if really enjoy this if I found it earlier in life. It’s a good album. Just, lacking a bit of creativity for my modern ears.

AGAIN?! Okay. Well, I guess this gives me a chance to give REM another go and see if it was just an off day yesterday or if the band isn't really for me. Nice, rollicking album I liked more at first listen than Automatic for the People, but kind of ended up liking Automatic more on the second. The tracks slightly blur into each other, and I'm even more at a loss as to what they're going on about but the vibes are great. REM feel like the kind of band I'd enjoy hearing on a playlist at a house party, or on a road trip. And then gradually become more and more familiar with them, go over the song lyrics in my head and develop attachments to little moments in particular songs. But they're not an instant classic with me. Standout tracks: Talk About the Passion, Sitting Still, West of the Fields. I don't know, they slightly blurred into each other for me.

Another R.E.M. album I’m convinced I should enjoy but I just don’t like how they sound and I don’t think that’s gonna change. Sigh.

Decent enough, still not convinced we should be listening to every REM album. Tav track: 9+9. Very generous 4

Not my taste, but many who I respect really enjoy it.

This album won Rolling Stone's award for Best Album of the Year in 1983 over Thriller, War and Synchnonicity. I find that very surprising because I always see R.E.M. as being somewhat peripheral to the major trends in music. While Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots were taking over the airwaves, R.E.M. was just off to the side singing about Kenneth. I don't think I had even heard any of the songs off Murmur before this project. Album of the year? Anyway, maybe it is a testament to the influence of this album that it just sounds so normal over 40 years later. I like the trademark harmonies but I prefer R.E.M. after they got a bit weirder.

I had no idea that REM was active this early. Clearly they were early architects in the alternative rock sound and this sounds like an album that could have easily been released 10 or 20 years later. Love this genre - respect given!

Fairly dull, but inoffensive.

Interesting to hear the start of a band that would obviously help define alt-rock later in the decade and become an MTV juggernaut by the early 90s. They're finding their footing here, but the songs don't grab me the way their later work does.

not fw it twin

Athens, GA band

I like the sound, but was disappointed to learn the lyrics are meaningless

(7/7) nice stuff, not at all like what I've come to expect from the 80s

This has all the R.E.M. elements and sounds like a band with a realized identity. Crazy-good for a debut. Guitar on 9-9 is fantastic, as is the guitar everywhere else. Gotta give it up to Peter Buck. The whole band sounds great.

307/1089 much preferred this over Automatic for the People fave: West of the Fields 62/100

He sounds so whiny!

I’ve listened to over 300 albums at this point, and there isn’t another band that sounds quite like R.E.M. There is just a chilling beauty to the quality of their music. Between Michael Stipe’s voice and the shimmering guitar parts, they create music that is just a delight to listen to. This is an amazing first album, and it makes me think I need to go back and reconsider some of their other work, including things on this list.

These rem guys are pretty good

Enjoyed this one more than I did the last REM album on this list, although I felt like it did get pretty same-y in the back half.

The album blasts off with radio free Europe and then the rest is just a bit meandering. Sometimes stipes voice is lost in the mix. Deliberately or not this takes away from the experience a bit. However the overall feeling is that there is something worth pursuing.

Another time I had a whole thing wrote out, but lost it. Gotta remember to keep saving as I type. Long story short, instruments and lyrics were often great, but there are a few times the song feel outside of my expectations in a negative direction; biggest example is the vibraphone sections in "Pilgrimage" not capitalizing on the tension it built and fizzling out towards the chorus each time. This happened on more than a couple of occasions, but there are songs I still enjoyed: "Radio Free Europe", "Pilgrimage" (yeah, I still liked it), "Talk about the Passions", "Moral Kiosk", "Shaking Through".

R.E.M. is what happens when four guys get together to write songs, but no one told them how to do it, so they invent their own, strange process unique to themselves and end up making something totally original. The influences are barely discernible. Is this rock and roll? Post-punk? Folk rock? People called it ‘college rock’, whatever that means. It’s emotional only in the sense that it doesn’t sound angry, but Murmur is never morose. In fact, it’s borderline danceable. The most interesting thing to me is how little the songwriting is anchored around vocal melody. Buck and Mills take center stage instead, creating textures and interplay that serve as the hooks. Stipe’s vocals come across as an additional counterpoint, not the focal point, and it works because he keeps the emotional tone at an even keel and never demands the listeners attention. Perhaps this is why Murmur feels so groundbreaking. A band that isn’t centered around a frontman, that asks the audience to consider them as a whole. No one was doing that because it’s not a commercial choice, yet by paving the way, R.E.M. unearthed a previously underserved demographic. Okay, I guess that’s why they called it College Rock. As a debut, Murmur is remarkably assured, and definitely one of the best entries in their estimable catalog.

Usually not super into dudes that sing like this but overall I thought it was a really cool album. Worth a re-listen

This one was good, but didn't stand out in the same way Green did for me. The songs didn't have a ton of differentiation, and the vocals aren't quite as refined. To be fair I was also a little distracted while listening, so I may need to revisit it at some point. 3/5 from me.

Losing my religion is one of my dad's favourite songs

A strong offering that serves as the groups breakout but far from their best

Love moral kiosk—this album opened me up to REM. Only heard losing my religion till this point

Quite enjoyed this one, it’s a bit more jangly and pop-focussed than the last R.E.M. album I had, but nice and upbeat, and the production was great.

nada mal pero no me vuelve loco

Excellent, nearly a 5 for me. The band are so locked in on this, can’t believe it’s a release from so early in their career. Love the guitar riffs and tone, the bounce of the rhythm section, the hooks, the optimistic sound.

Enjoyable listen, hard to be mad at jangly guitars.

This album slaps! For a debut record this has to be one of the best of any bands career. For 1983, this sounds timeless. No wonder Radiohead loved those guys. Nearly a 5 but some songs aren’t as compelling as the rest such as Talking About Passion. Maybe it’ll change in the future.

I enjoyed it. Vocals were a little bit cobain-y. I keep on getting surprised by the album choice from the artists. A lot of the time I would assume that it would be a different album from that artist.

Was not familiar with this album. REM's first. According to Wiki it drew critical acclaim for jangly guitar and cryptic lyrics. Having just listened to the Byrds some influences in that guitar sound and harmonies. Again hard to understand the lyrics on many songs, but it's a nice sound. 3/4 I would perhaps like one track to grab me to give it a 4 and low and behold the 11th (of 12) did that. Still didn't understand the lyrics 'tho.

Really enjoyed this album. I haven't listened to a lot of early REM, so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. There is a lot of hints of what is to come from them.

Michael Stipe I would trust you with my life

Straight out the gate with one of their great bangers in Radio Free Europe. Love the lo-fi jangle here and the fact that Mike Mills' harmonies are fully intact from day 1. The lyrics, the melodies, the cool factor.

This was a Perfect Circle of an album. Talk About the Passion of this one.

7 - GOOD

Thought this was a super nice work day vibe. Liked it more than I expected too 3+

Durante todo el álbum me llevaba siempre a pensar en “lobo-hombre en Paris” de La Unión. Un álbum que escucharía para los días tranquilos y desconectados. Tema favorito: “talk about the passion”

Just slightly too repetitive and whiney at times, but there are some amazing tracks on this one.

Although I really like this band, I had never heard this album before. Not surprisingly, I really liked it. In fact, in a lot of these songs Michael Stipes’ voice was not so whiney, to the point where it didn’t sound like him. In any case, I enjoyed this one, and give it four stars.

More like a 3.5. I don’t know if I was just in the right mood for Dad Rock but I really enjoyed it

1/1

Another good one from R.E.M.

Nice

This was honestly boring

A perfect debut

This album made me go and lower the rating I gave the other R.E.M. album. It’s just so much better to me. Almost almost a 4. Most every song was either a 3 or a 4 on it’s own. Season: Late Spring Favorite Song: Radio Free Europe

Any excuse to listen to Murmur is highly welcome. One of the greatest debuts ever. Sheer perfection.

I am sorry, I had higher expectations of this. All songs are pretty much the same. Radio Free Europe was at least a bit more energetic.

Really a 3.5: I appreciate why it was innovative at the time and I like REM, but could never drum up strong feelings for them beyond a few of their stronger songs.

This guy's voice is incredible. This album is such a vibe. Or do I thought- Sort of ambled along towards the end and when I woke up again it was finished.

I believe that when the Teletubbies return from a *hard day of work*, they chill in their living room, listening to this R.E.M. album. I didn't check the lyrics, but from the music alone, I get 200% positivity and everything-is-good vibes. There is a variety in the songs, but the overall tone made it repetitive for me. I hope I don't get any nightmares today with the sound of "We Walk" in the background...

For me the perfect "wakeup-album" -everything sounds similar, but in a good way -songs aren't complex -uplifting

Know REM from the hits — Losing My Religion, Everybody Hurts, the later polished era. Murmur is earlier and stranger: jangly guitars, Michael Stipe deliberately mumbling so the voice becomes texture rather than meaning. It's an interesting idea. It just didn't land for me. Nothing stayed. Nothing grabbed. Atmospheric in a way that passed through without leaving a mark. I can hear why it mattered — there's something genuinely different about the approach — but different doesn't automatically become compelling on first contact. 2/5 — respectfully unaffected.

Well, it didn't offend, but it was boring, kind of a snore fest. Some of the choruses are pleasant enough, but nearly every song drags way too long. Why repeat verse-chorus three times when it's so bland and forgettable? 2/5 below average

This almost earned a 4 from me, but the songs all sound just a bit too similar. By the last song I was glad it was over, which is a sign that an album can’t be higher than a 3.

Me gusto! Pero no me attapo

Very solid debut album. Listening to this you can see the sound of the band was already fully formed. Probably not their best however a pleasurable listen

Just okay, the lyrics don’t do it for me. I like impressionistic lyrics but not so much these.

alright, like other albums by them better 3 stars

Heard bits of this album growing up from my dad, it's remained a staple of my life ever since fully sitting down and listening to it sometime in college. Perfectly captures an unknowable sadness with a pop energy that has been almost unmatched since, even from the band itself. While Stipe gives the performance of a lifetime, I think Mills is the MVP here with a backup vocal style that may be the most defined of any ever. His off kilter yet perfectly precise soaring vocals offset Stipe to create the fully realized yet unknowable atmosphere that makes this album what it is. Peter Buck and Bill Berry's experimentation on their respective instruments is also simply unbelievable - Berry on Moral Kiosk and Buck on 9-9 (a track that used to simply feel novelty but now is a stand out for me for it's subtle yet tight insanity) are the highlights. While the lyrics border on pure nonsense, it's hard not to note a sorrow, especially on the 4 lines that comprise Talk About the Passion. "Not everyone can carry the weight of the world" is a line that unfortunately often comes to me. Hard to imagine a band coming out more fully formed than this - the soulfulness of Stipe and Mills singing, the almost purely phonetic lyricism, the incredibly tight songwriting and rhythm section, and the impenetrable melancholy of it all. The kind of music you dance to with tears in your eyes.

sorry guys I think I might just not be an R.E.M. person. On first listen at least (which is all I got in yesterday) this was nice enough but nothing stood out to me.

Somehow my first time listening to an REM album! Really enjoyed it. 3.5 upon first listen but I could see myself getting way more into it

I’m the sign and you’re not dih🥀 (i reckon that, because It is nearly impossible to assess if an album is a 5 star album after one listen, although i’ve listened many times, my scores will now reflect the immediate pleasure upon my listen. God this album fucking rocks. Southern Gothic ass shit. Michael Stipe u absolute goat. Ugh. So good. REM’s the best

The Best Ever. peter buck you are in my personal guitar pantheon thanks in no small part to this album. i grew up with REM so no way can i be unbiased about this album but god it’s just the best. radio free europe, shaking through, pilgrimage, and talk about the passion are my favorites, but everything here is solid gold. i don’t know if i would tolerate michael stipe’s mumbling if it were any other band or any other vocalist. somehow Reckoning is even better than this

aw beans. im not cracker™️ but we push forth. you hear all this rah rah about REM inventing the concept of indie/alt rock (some of its true but it's a little. overEmphasized) and you listen to this and realize who they're biting right down to the Hook. pun intended. get off his Peter. mcGangbang of Four more like it. it's a debut. they get to original ideas eventually. not here. but eventually. still good jangle. 3.5-4.1. (related but unrelated) god. please tell me there's a Stephen Hague produced bootleg of catapult in the wild. i'm sure he was a dick to you guys but fucks sake. have a bit of synth in there. and a chorus. (it exists. it's lowk PEAK {maybe dial it down a bit on the chorus and dial in the synth patch. [them american boys in the comments like "rem sounds timeless!!! like they could've been a band in the 60s!!!" Buddy. i can pinpoint the exact boroughs of Manchester/NYC they're aping] it's a demo for a reason. must've been the principle.}) (actually related) 9-9 gives me a fucking aneurysm. we jump from closer era joy division intro to bright verses to a police ass chorus to a smiths type bridge. alright guys. we got it. bisexual ass song.

R.E.M. was certainly one of the most influential pop-rock bands of the ’80s and ’90s. In my view, however, that doesn’t justify having five albums by Michael Stipe & Co. on this list—especially since R.E.M.’s approach has remained virtually unchanged over the years. Their debut “Murmur” sounds a bit like Dire Straits without Mark Knopfler trying their hand at a new wave sound. Fortunately, this nightmare isn’t real, but the thought experiment clearly shows that we’re dealing with something rather half-baked here. Bottom line: it’s nice to know, but not essential. One R.E.M. album (or two, for that matter) would have been enough.

It's nice. I liked shaking through, we walk and west of fields

Prima achtergrondmuziek.

Didn’t hate hate

Urgh

It was ok. Some good tracks at the start but it started to feel a bit samey towards the end. It's a 3/5. It was ok. Not great and not bad. Better than bad.

After listening to those first few R.E.M. albums, it really changed my perspective on them as the band, this is a masterful record and highly influential. I love pretty much every song here so easy 5 stars

Early REM so like a new album to me, loved this. Little more rough around the edges and youthful than they aged into.

я ща ебнусь. Честно? Ну что это за пиздец, я чё хиппарь в курилке, скукотища пиздец, 1.5 звезды бы поставила потому что ну в целом норм, но это просто никак. Поэтому 2 звезды и всё.

Мур мур мур

The first time I heard this album, I wasn't terribly blown away. But coming back for a more intentional listen, I really appreciate what this album accomplishes. Even though this is their debut album, R.E.M. already nails down a unique sound, which also happens to be very good. Still not my favorite R.E.M. record, but this is still very impressive! Favorites: Radio Free Europe, Pilgrimage, Laughing, 9-9, Shaking Through, West Of The Fields

I mean, come on. You could put this out today and it would blow people away. Absolutely pristine sounds, incredibly songwriting, bewitching vocals. I'm always blown away by how fully formed they were from the jump. I'd put all 5 of their I.R.S. records on this list if I could. Murmur is perfect but somehow not the only perfect record they made.

I'm not too familiar with R.E..M. outside of the massive hits of the 90's. Probably a reason for that. This album started out very bland and then remained like that throughout.

Great album. I really loved listening to it. Great melodies, really round album. I didn't quite remember something: the London Calling song I knew, and the other songs are quite like it. I have to say, though, it didn't really catch me necessarily.

My bueno, está para dejarlo de fondo

One of my top ten albums.

Unexciting, inoffensive and absolutely fine

5/4 Pretty good

dieses album erinnert mich bissle an the smiths find ich aber nicht schlimm fave songs pilgrimage talk abt the passion west of the fields grad fertig gehört w[rde persönlich sagen mid

meh

You can feel them still trying to figure out the REM sound It's all over the place - in a good and interesting way - and there's clear references to the Cure and the Clash

Less refined and mature than the REM to come, a glare of moody post-punk inflected indie that I enjoyed way more than I thought I would.

After buying RECKONING, my first R.E.M. album, I remember finding MURMUR at one of my favorite used-record shops, pulling out the inner sleeve, and cursing under my breath, "Damn, this one doesn't have lyrics either."

Classic R.E.M.—you can’t understand half the words, but the vibe is so dialed‑in you don’t need to.

A R.E.M. hay que considerarlos una de las bandas más influyentes del rock de todos los tiempos. Su aportación a esta historia viene definida por su magnífica capacidad de abrazar el folk americano y darle unas buenas vueltas de pop-rock, unas gotas de garage y la sofisticación necesaria para poder navegar cómodamente la new wave. La sofistificación máxima les llevo a subirse a la ola del mainstream más adelante y perder bastante frescura. La que tiene este primer disco, que podrá no ser el mejor, pero sí es todo lo seminal que puede ser. Michael Stipe ya ejerce de verdadero frontman aunque le noto algo tímido a la hora de llevar las riendas. "Talk About The Passion" me parece una de sus delicias. "Catapult" y "Shaking Through" hacen gala de buenas armonías vocales y en todos los temas no podemos dejar sin crédito la presentísima guitarra de de Peter Buck, sello de R.E.M. casi tan importante como el de Stipe. La pequeña joyita que personalmente destaco es "We Walk".

Petarda

Previously known. It's a vibe.

I like Michael Stipe's voice and I generally like the rhythms and compositions of R.E.M songs. The lyrics are always a bit stream of consciousness scattered for me though so I just try not to pay attention to them.

Highlights: Laughing

It's definitely the best out of all the (too many) R.E.M. albums I got. Still not good enough lol

Good album but not their best

Could be a 5 but saving that for their later stuff

La banda no me parece mala, de hecho ya había escuchado un álbum de ellos. Me encanta que experimentan con diferentes ritmos. Pero no me pareció nada demasiado innovador...

Not what I'd expect from R.E.M., but enjoyable. 3.5

Nice but a bit forgettable

It's REM, it's not flashy or experimental but it gets the job done when you need an indie rock fix

Интересный необычный рок по моему вкусу Чем-то отдает пост панком От этой группы уже слышала Losing My Religion

As my cello-playing professor said: nice guys, okay musicians. It's fine, songs kind of blur

There are much better REM albums

For whatever sets of reasons, in spite of many fine individual recordings, I was always eh? About REM

I /HATE/ R.E.M, but this is actually a really good album. Oldmates voice is not nearly as whiney as I was expecting, it seems only their later work does his vocals really drop off. I can't really fault this thing. It's not really my kind of music but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy my time. Good album.

REM but forgettable. At best went slightly Meat Pupppets-y, at worst just bland.

Favorite Track: Radio Free Europe

3 * good b/g music

I've been meaning to listen to more of them, and this being their debut it definitely laid out their style so well and for being so early in the 80s it feels ahead of its time with more of a jangly pop sound that wasn't as common for the early 80s. Good album but I still prefer the later albums like AFTP, Monster, etc.

I'm enjoying it - nothing really jumps out as bad or good to me but like their sound a lot.

I’d never listened to this album before but loved Perfect Circle (and the story about it) from the REM episode of Bandsplain.

every single rem song sounds the same

Great stuff! R.E.M.s one of my favourite bands, and to finally get to.listem to their debut gives me another perspective on them. On the edge of a 4, but they've got so much greater stuff coming

I found this to be some great background music but not much more. REM is great in small batches but when listening to an entire album there is something missing. The sound is not inspired enough for me and everything sort of blurs together with no distinct aspects I can pull from to articulate my thoughts. This makes sense for a first album though.

Remember when you couldn't understand half of Michael Stipe's lyrics? This is that. So reminiscent of my college years. After listening to this today, I can't get "Radio Free Europe" out of my head. That's definitely the first R.E.M. song I was ever aware of.

Overall solid. Don’t like it as much as some of their later stuff

Like 2nd half more than 1st. But all are at least interesting. Good album. Not the best REM, but up there.

Ta bueno, chill. Sin críticas pero sin like.

Buen disco, REM es una banda que para mí está un poco infravalorada, creo que es un disco regular sin muchos puntos altos ni bajos, me gusta harto el sonido de la batería y el bajo, la voz simple en la producción pero con mucha emocionalidad. Creo que es un 3, sin tantas cosas que destacar Canción favorita laughing sin duda

Never piqued my interest. OK, just not my thing I guess.

Boring AF. I understand how influential this album is supposed to be but I really just don't care.

benlik degil mlsf

Well I hate to be critical but it's a long way from their best songwriting. The song about 'the landing' nearly tipped me over the edge!

Lowkey elusive.

Miles away from their biggest hits, R.E.M.'s debut is dense and enigmatic. Jangly guitars abound, and lyrics are cryptic or indecipherable. The album somehow manages to be both tight, with those guitars taking up nearly every second and often changing melodies, and loose, with verses and choruses that blend together and feel ready to fall apart. There are some great songs here. "Radio Free Europe" deserves its status as a highpoint for the band, "Catapult" has a catchy hook, and I love the urgency on "West of the Fields." At other times the songs blur together with their similar sounds or feel too loose; the chorus of "Moral Kiosk" is almost a chorus deconstructed, reduced to vocalizations instead of words. I like how fresh and free this is, but I find myself wishing for more well-defined songs and memorable moments.

another amazing debut album Favorite Songs: Radio Free Europe, Laughing, Talking About the Passion, Moral Kiosk, Catapult, Sitting Still, 9–9, We Walk, West of The Fields

One of the best debut albums.

perfect circles is pretty top tier in album imo

eh its alright. Guitar was nice but it felt like it was missing something

Liked Catapult and liked some of the riffs in 9-9. Decent vibe overall

They have better albums, felt kind of repetitive

Nice

Not a memorable album, at least for R.E.M. standards, but not bad at all. 7/10

Perfect album

I really like R.E.M. but I didn't really enjoyed this album. Not that it's a bad album. It has a couple of good tracks on it. But also some boring ones. 3/5

While I'm not the biggest R.E.M. fan, my favorite song of theirs, "Radio Free Europe", opens up this album and it made me excited to listen. I do recognize their impact on all of the college rock I would come to love.

I can really see how people like or even love this. This was my first ever listen and I didn't find it particularly striking but it is certainly competent. Looking forward to hearing more R.E.M. on this list. 3.5/5

I won't pretend to be an authority on Michael Stipe's lyrical intentions - according to the man himself there may not *be* any authority - but I do want to argue that his Southern-ness is an under-theorized part of what he and this band are all about. What I hear here is a sensitive man in the process of waking up to the world - hearing about, and trying to make sense of, feints towards freedom around the world ("Radio Free Europe"), the Church's checkered history and present, both personally and globally ("Talk About the Passion," "9-9"), his own heretofore unexamined biases ("Moral Kiosk") and the ways in which they've been transmitted to him ("Catapult"). And maybe I'm projecting but it seems to me there is something particularly Southern about that - about trying to figure out and be true to yourself, including your heritage, when you're from a place (the heart of the Confederacy) where the term "heritage" can have all sorts of particularly repugnant connotations. So Stipe looks beyond his immediate environs to the world beyond; "We Walk" reimagines David's *Death of Marat* as forbidden erotics, the "betrayal" being Stipe's approach of his bathing lover - and the jauntiness of it revealing the relief of release he feels at finding a place to feel at home. Of course, on some level all this theorizing utterly fails to address the rest of what makes this album so compelling, which is the *rhythm*. Peter Buck's intricate and energetic Rickenbacher figures have been justly lauded, but for my money Mike Mills is equally a star here - his McCartneyesque bass licks on "Laughing" and "9-9" are highlights on an album full of musical highlights. And Stipe's mournful baritone blends with Bill Berry's piano to crystallize the heartbreak on "Perfect Circle" - "Who might leave you where I left off?" has been punching me in the gut for decades now. Every one of these songs is perfect musically - propulsive, angular, and yet full and inviting also. The influence of this album is simply awesome; to take just one example, Pavement made an entire career out of remaking the short coda on "Shaking Through." Some part of me worried that, on hearing this again, it would have become prosaic in the interim, like Shelley's metaphor of the old coin worn from continued use. But instead it sounds as fecund as ever, an old friend who I have loved and missed dearly.

holy shit 1 hour 43 minutes

Rate: 7/10

Not an R.E.M fan, it was fine.

Ahead of its time, and inspirational to a lot of artists. Sadly, it falls a bit flat and overdone now.

A lot of great and memorable R.E.M. songs out there, but unfortunately, none of them on this album. Pretty bland and forgettable.

Overall Rating - 3.17/5 (6.33/10). R.E.M. has a very distinctive sound, and you can tell that this is the early days of creating that distinctive sound. This definitely fills the role on the list of "Not the best album, but an album you need to hear because it's the start of something unique and great."

3/5. A nice slice of jangle-pop and college rock. Was an easygoing and pleasant listen, I personally preferred the tracks that leaned a little more post-punky like the opener “radio free Europe” but it was all solid, just not the most interesting or exciting album for me personally.

A fantastic debut for a band that changed music. Have listented to this many times before with Sitting Still always being one of my favorites from them. However, I never felt the sound was that polished so I give it closer to a 4 than a 5.

Radio Free Europe. Fuck yes. The rest? Ok. Amazing I wasn't even a teenager when this came out.

ive only heard rem's later stuff so it's interesting to finally listen to their debut album. i think "radio free europe" is the strongest track here but after that it unfortunately kinda sinks down to being pretty mid. it's far from being bad but it's another of those albums where the tracks are sometimes a bit samey, mostly near the start, and the album structure suffers for it. it picks up a bit more in the middle, i like the more intricate drumming on "moral kiosk", and "perfect circle" pulls the energy down hard enough afterwards to hold my attention, but for the back half, although there's more variety, nothing other than "sitting still" really stood out as particularly amazing. i did enjoy the barely-intelligible yelling in the chorus of "shaking through" quite a lot tho. yeah idk it's just kinda fine i guess. another album i'd put on as background noise, then drop what i'm doing for the standout tracks.. although in this case the standout track is the first track so. maybe not...

1001 albums to hear before you can't even murmur 74# Wasn't giving this much praise cause im not from the 80s so i dont have an immense love for R.E.M. and never quite heard them, unless it's the Losing my religion and that is a great song. I'll have the same discourse that I did for Bruce Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town. This is quite the surprise firstly for being their debut, and secondly for thinking this would be another rock album from the 80s with a lot of recognition but almost nothing to show, it isn't. Fun throughout, i understand the older generations rants about today's music. Too repetitive, too restrained, too produced, too.. commercialized. Great Hooks, cool riffs. It's just not my type of vibe I delve into inside the rock scene. wow some experimentation on the ninth track 9-9, one of the highlights. It's more unpredictable, and dynamic than the rest. For me it sounds like something i've heard before. Surprised but not impressed. Bruce is leading the way on the 80s run.

Perfect circle

Better than Coldplay

Almost a 4 for me, but I'll settle for 3. Always enjoy R.E.M..

It was OK, didn't grab me really at any point.

Classic alternative

Another example of an album that I had low expectations for, but they were easily surpassed. It wasn't all amazing, there were a couple of weaker tracks, but the good/great far outweighed them.

Enjoyable, yet not particularly artistically provocative

I liked this R.E.M. album much better than the last one I was recommended! I'm not sure what I like about this album that wasn't in Document, but better by a good margin.

Not for me for now atleast but the best karaoke songs

Helt ok

r.e.m isn’t bad, just forgettable.

Bueno

I don't think I'll ever get REM. It just doesn't resonate with me in any way. No bops. No bangers. ugh.

Meh.

First time listening to this, and i enjoyed through every song. Really good intro to the alternative rock. Track that i liked: Pilgrimage Rating for me is 13 of 20.

I really liked this one. I don't know how to describe this album besides cozy. It's a nice escape from the stresses of the world. However I’m not sure if this album is going to stick with me yet.

easy listening. Hard to place in their timeline. Not sure if there is something unique about this one that their other albums don't also have. But again, great sounds (if not the same sound).

I'm not a 'fan' of REM necessarily but they are always entirely listenable. This album got two listens today whilst I went about my ways on a Sunday. Instrumentally great. I'm never massively tracking what Stipe is talking about but his voice is a perfect accompaniment to the music. Great for a first album for sure.

Never listened. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Very Good - Another R.E.M. album! I know this is usually considered one of their best but I have never gotten around to listening to it. After a couple tracks it seems like it's pretty standard stuff for them, but I like this better than some of the later albums. I would say this is clearly better than Green actually. Enjoyed it quite a bit.

More like mumble am I right fellas

Yeah, it's Murmur. It rocks.

Lacking the standout songs for me but I like the sound of it

nice. first R.E.M. album i've fully listened through. i honestly don't have much to say. how bout that Hornets Heat game pretty nuts huh

a bit same-y but overall a lot of fun

I do not like REM

genérico y olvidabld

Classic!

I like REM, and this is a goid album - especially for a debut. But later albums are better.

this album reminds me of something you'd listen to while on a hike to motivate you to keep going, which i like. I did find it a bit boring but overall i liked it! my favorite song was 'we walk' ♡

One R.E.M. album was enough. We don't need to hear their entire catalogue.

This is the first REM I ever heard. They changed the world one college radio station at a time.

Not my kind of thing, but I didn't hate it

The sounds made me feel strong emotions at some points, but overall I was kind of uninterested in this album. I wouldn't call it bad by any means, though. Just kind of average.

I've never really listened to R. E. M. Before so maybe if I had heard their better stuff I would like this less but I thought it was pretty good ... Vibey

Decent first album, their later work is where R.E.M. really shines though

good starter of alt rock genre. Really solid. Some songs were a miss but overall amazing project it is a 4

was never a fan of R.E.M.'s tinny production and nasally vocalist but not a bad album. no real standout tracks but definitely pleasant to listen to. may revisit?

This brought me back to the best times of my life and peak of humanity.

no me encantó el álbum; pero si la banda

Patrili k tým, čo som mal rád, ale v 90.rokoch, keď si M. S. oholil hlavu, akoby aj tie piesne niečo stratili...

Okay album that has a nic sound, though not many songs relly sticks out. Favourites: Radio Free Europe, Talk About The Passion

Good. ★★★

Pretty good but not quite good enough to hook and reel me in. 3.5

its an okish album, i think the reason its here its because it was releaed in 1983, such sound wa unheard of

Meget eddie vedder-agtigt, hyggeligt nok. Ville dog nok ikke komme tilbage

I just had Green recently, and I have the same problem I had with Green. The album starts exciting, but the lack of dynamics and putting the mellow song after mellow song closer to the end of an album kinda ruins the vibe for me.

Distinctly R.E.M. I understand it's significance, but I prefer their later more polished sound.

Honestly way better than expected. The blends were very cool and almost feels like Frampton-esque jam band. My only problem with it is it feels like it kind of molds together. All the songs are feel like the same rhythm. I still enjoyed it tho Highlights: Moral Kiosk, Catapult

I listened to this years and years ago, in my early twenties, as someone looking to get into more alternative music and away from Korn, Sepultura and punk stuff. I hated it then. It's grown on me since and I can appreciate that it's the sound of a great band starting on their journey. It's jangly guitar sounds are appropriate for the early 80s post punk scene. A lot of the songs do sound very similar, with chord changes and dynamics that don't very much from track to track. They get better.

I came to REM via Document and worked my way back. This one, their first, was never a favorite tbh. Listening now, I definitely missed the boat. Buck, Mills and Berry arrived fully formed, tight as a drum and perfectly synthesizing British Invasion, the Byrds, folk, and country, with the brilliant twisted mind of Stipe at the fore. They would grow and change and go down this lane or that, but the elements were all here on day one. This one is no less than the blueprint of a decade and more of indie pop

So I’ve been thinking a lot about Rachel’s review of Cyndi Lauper’s album and this identified undercurrent of sadness. Is it a reaction to punk? When you turn down the volume on anger is the result this raw desperation…a core of sadness revealed without the mayhem? I dunno. As for this…the record that launched a thousand underground ships on the radio waves.

I love the sound of Murmur. It's close, comforting, yet otherworldly.

Didn't catch a word he said but it's R.E.M. what ya gonna do?

Leur 1er album. Ils étaient vus comme des pionniers à cette époque, car ils faisaient un son que personne avait jamais entendu, du alt rock. Pour ma part, c'est bien bon. Le tout s'écoute bien, sans qu'il y ait de chansons super commerciales ou sur lesquelles je capote. On est entre le 3 et le 4.

I feel very close to this album. We're basically the same age and everything. Not a bad song in the bunch, "catapult" is perfect

still dont like his voice but the music is nice enough

The Good: This won’t be loud! It’ll be a… The Bad: Realizing that murmur isn’t what I thought it would be… The Ugly: getting murmured without consent! So, here we are… listening to R.E.M.’s maiden voyage… it’s nice… it’s not too intrusive… it’s like a murmur, but not… I was never aware of REM, until they just blew up with Loosing My Religion… but I’ve mentioned that already in my previous murmuring for that other REM album that is on this list which does not include Loosing My Religion… Do I feel better having listened to this? Not really… Do I feel worse having listened to this? Not really either… So, let’s call it a 3, click the vote button and hope for something illuminating… not something that’s a murmur… 3*

I struggled to listen to this whole album. I just didn't find it enjoyable or all that interesting to listen too. It's not horrible and I get why people like it but it's just not for me. 45-50/100

beginning, it is okay but also i can see myself being annoyed hearing this for too long. (written while listening to pilgrimage) five tracks in i still dont like it :( thinking like a 55/100 finished. didnt like it sorry kind of boring

The album was fine, nothing crazy. I enjoyed parts of it. Seems they do have a track record with a lot of popular songs, I never knew the name of the band before now.

-love the instruments, the lyrics is not really my style at all -really long -love the vibes

Me recordó a nirvana. Buenas canciones pero ninguna me facinó

There’s something appealing in how it avoids being too direct. Still, it feels more like a starting point than a fully developed statement.

Aside the taut and punchy opening track "Radio Free Europe", this record struggles along in second gear, with the monochromatic vocal melodies, repetetive strumming and skeletal production failing to generate any sparks.

I usually reserve 5 for a masterpiece album, and this is may not deserve that label. But I love R.E.M., and I love this album.

Kinda peaceful, kinda boring Likes: Laughing; Catapult; Sitting Still

this guy really murmurs fav song: Radio Free Europe

Gave 4 stars to the others. I get this is their debut but falls a little flat to me.

Was alright. Just a little boring and compared to other work by REM.

I like alternative rock 🤷‍♂️

I took a break from copyediting a book about the video game Doom to go on a cool, overcast walk and listen to this album. Discovering a strong passion and respect for R.E.M. has been one of my favorite revelations of the list so far, which left me feeling a little deflated after listening to Murmur. By all accounts this is still a very good album, with good songwriting and technically proficient instrumentals. There's just not a lot of movement during the songs; some of them wind up feeling a little stuck in place by the time they end. This is bolstered by the fact that Murmur is a lot softer than the later R.E.M. albums I've enjoyed so much, and it has less of their distinctive character too. While there are certainly highlights, this album sounds a like first step towards something greater. Highlights: Talk About The Passion, Catapult, We Walk

Achja Rem - war schon okay...

I'm very jealous of this debut album.

The soundtrack of an alternate universe that could have been the mainstream 1980s.

Good for REM. A little boring.

Not their best album, as far as I'm concerned. It sounds nice, of course, they are great musicians, but some songs were too similar to each other, none of them surprised me, as it happens with other REM songs. 3/5

Album No. 0201 on my list. I’m a huge fan of R.E.M.’s biggest hits, but I never really broadened my knowledge about their music. I don’t know why to be honest. I know their 90s albums pretty well, but never got to their 80s stuff. Except for “Radio Free Europe”, “Murmur” was a completely new thing to me. And quite frankly, I found it solid, but nothing more. Coming from the aforementioned big hits, I was even a bit disappointed. Of course, the band was just finding its style at the time and “Murmur” does have certain qualities: it’s artsy, it’s interesting, it’s raw. But I just found that the quality of the songs themselves was not as high as expected. I dunno, maybe my taste is to mainstream-oriented, maybe the whole thing was too cryptic. Not a bad album, but also not a huge favorite. I get that this has probably been very influential, and maybe I’d rate it higher at a later stage, but for now it’s just solid an nothing more to me. Will add the aforementioned “Radio Free Europe” to my playlist, as well as “Pilgrimage”, and “Talk About The Passion”. 3/5 Stars.

Murmur funciona como un perfecto respiro rítmico frente a discos más densos. Es un álbum alegre y fácil de seguir, donde la estructura de las canciones invita a mantener el paso gracias a sus muy buenos ritmos y una batería constante. ​Lo más distintivo es el tratamiento de la voz: Michael Stipe utiliza un "balbuceo" que, lejos de ser un obstáculo, encaja perfectamente con la atmósfera del disco, convirtiendo la voz en un instrumento melódico más que en un narrador de historias claras. A esto se suma una guitarra muy agradable, con arpegios limpios que definen el sonido del rock alternativo temprano. Un álbum equilibrado que se ubica justo en medio de la intensidad y la crudeza, ideal para una escucha fluida.

I don't think this would be the R.E.M. album I would put on this list, but I assume a stronger one is coming. Still enjoyable, just not excellent. It was better on the second listen.

Quintessential 80’s college radio album. I had always heard of the album but only knew Radio Free Europe from it. Whole album was a great listen. You can see why they were the fore front of Alternative Rock.

3.5

I listened to it today, but I don't even remember it.

As much as i've tried throughout my life, I just can't get into REM. Don't get me wrong, they're legends and I love many of their songs, but none of their albums have kept my interest enough to listen back, except this one. Maybe it's their youthful demeanor since it's their debut, or it may just be my preferance for post-punk which they mostly resemble on their early stuff. I'll be generous and give them a higher rating because i like this much better than their next more famous albums.

I’d not listened to this REM albums before. I enjoyed it

Pure cack

Tengo un recopilatorio en CD de cuando se empezaron a hacer populares en Europa que trae las mejores canciones de este disco y que me he guardado igualmente: Radio Free Europe, Talk about the passion y Perfect circle. El resto también interesantes.

No es de mi estilo

A little rough around the edges but the fact they were this fully formed on their debut is impressive.

Pleasant to listen to. No bops though.

so sleepy. Not for me.

Never listened to early REM, it's pretty interesting how much their sound is already fully formed on this album. Definitely not my favourite flavour of 'alt-rock' (it's too conventional for my tastes), and the songwriting here is miles away from their later output (an unfair comparison as they'd go on to write some truly era-defining songs). This is still a good enough listen, though it's a bit samey and at its worst, a bit dull. But it's interesting to hear where it all started for one of the most important rock bands of the last half-century.

Another group that I understand is important, but when I actually listen to it it does nothing for me. I think I sometimes suffer from "oh, this again". I want to hear new, different things and when a million garage bands have copied a band like this, it's not new or different to me. In 1983 it was probably a revelation, but in 2026 it's elevator music.

While not as good as the previous R.E.M album I listened to on this generator, I still thought this was quite good. If I were to have one complaint about it, it's that it was little bit inconsistent. While mostly strong, there were a couple tracks that I just really couldn't get into. It was clean. It was fun. It was just missing something. This being said, this is R.E.M's debut album so I really can't give them too much flack for that. Really solid.

te amo

none stood out to me

I struggled to get through it all. Not their best work.

This makes me want to listen to more REM. I can see how they could have impacted other music going forward.

More painfully boring and nasally music from one of the most generically mainstream bands ever. An epitome of "coworker" music that must sound so good if you've literally heard nothing else before

Not a fan of this album but I respect what they do.

4.5

Mer upptempo och gladare än the verve. Välbehövligt efter Harrisons gnällfest. Men inget som riktigt fastnar heller. 3.5 vill jag ge

Favorite track(s): Radio Free Europe, Laughing, Moral Kiosk

interesting sounds cant make much sense of the words perhaps its supposed to be dream like?

Not a lover of REM. But definitely like this one the best. Lots of arpeggios. They must dig those. I think I now see that’s the connection from them to Radiohead.

I liked shaking thorugh

As a big fan of indie music generally, I thought I’d enjoy this album more than I did. The music itself is fine & relatively enjoyable, but for me it really blended into the background and nothing stood out as particularly brilliant or inspired. Sitting Still & 9-9 were the true high points of the album for me - the rest of it all merging into one relatively middle-of-the-road track-list. There’s nothing “bad” whatsoever here, it just doesn’t fill me with joy or a desire to listen to any of it again.

Very samey and inoffensive, but pleasant enough.

Hell yeah, a debut album that plays like a Greatest Hits. Well, leave “Laughing” off. But I could see Michael and Ric Ocasek laughing over beers and saying, man, how did we do that? The word that comes to mind is “timeless”. These songs stick around because they’re too good not to.

Monstrously dull

Prior to this, the albums generator had set me up with Automatic For The People, which was its own middle-of-the-road experience for me. Not very memorable, now some months later. This debut compares similarly, but with this release I 'get it.' Each participant brings something unique to the sound, the music builds because the sounds clash elegantly. I would definitely consider that essence of rock. It's a little folk-y with the acoustics, it's a little whiny with the vocals, I'm sure it's the perfect sound for a lot of people, but I can live without this. 2.9/5

1.42

I never warmed up to these guys.

I like R.E.M. a lot, but their debut has never been particularly interesting to me other than as a foretaste of what was to come.

Good chill rainy day music.

There's more than surface-level stuff going on here but I'm confronted with something that has always happened with REM: I love several singles ('Man on the Moon', 'Great Beyond', 'Shiny Happy People') but their deep cuts just don't land for me. As a big Tragically Hip fan, this is an American band that they're often compared favourably to. I may just find everyone but Michael Stipe a little bit boring. They're an important band in the canon of the late 20th century (ugh that's my childhood I'm summarizing), so you should check this out. You may also find it boring, though. 3/5 -- probably good music for someone else.

Helt mid Soft rock men sånn holyyyy ymid

I thought I would hate this, but I enjoyed the listen. I didn't feel that I actively engaged or resonated, but it was nice

When side 1, track 1 of your debut album is Radio Free Europe, that’s just amazing. A great debut with many tracks that have stood the test of time. A bunch of forgettable stuff too though.

Man early R.E.M. was incredible

Unremarkable for me.

So much has been said about Michael Stipe's unique voice, lyrics, and delivery, and they are indeed great. As are Peter Buck's jangly guitars, and Bill Berry's drumming. But Mike Mills has always been the unsung hero of REM in my mind—his melodic bass playing drives the songs and his unique voice complements Stipe's beautifully. Just on its own, separated from context, I like Murmur well enough, but it's far from my favorite REM album. So why has earned it 5 stars? Because it was unlike anything else from 1983 and marks the inception of my favorite sub-genre: alternative rock. I mean, this came out the same year as Thriller! It sounds like it came out 10 years later than it did. It blows my mind that this came out when my parents were still in high school. The context matters so much, and there is no doubt that Murmur deserves a place on this list.

I love this record; had great fun on a long drive listening to it today. And singing along, of course, even though I still have no idea what he's saying 80% of the time. It's a band that's stuck with me - the jangly guitar, the fun stuff happening in the rhythm section, Stipe's incomprehensible vocals, all the songs that I've continue to love since first hearing it 40 or so years ago. I love the cover, too - it feels so much like home, vines covering everything in sight. It's not pretty, but you'll know what I mean if you've spent any time in the mid-Atlantic or southeast US. This is an important record in terms of influence, too. We've got a jangle pop comp CD around here somewhere and a full two-thirds of the songs sound like the Murmur track "Talk About the Passion." I guess if you don't like jangle pop then REM has a lot to answer for, but that's one kind of pop that I like. 5 stars, of course

An album I have heard but never did buy. Sounds like early R.E.M., which is cool! But I do think I prefer middle-era REM, doesn't do much for me. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Some Owned: No 59/238 (24%) Will I get:

Alright so I'm currently 4 tracks in... is every song on this album going to be this repetitive? Well kinda. I'm usually a debut album kinda guy but this was just ok.

Washed over me