I started my disappointing foray into the album “Out of Time” with high hopes. It’s not a stretch to say that this was probably the worst mentality I could have concerning the album. Like most people, I had heard a few of R.E.M’s more popular songs, so I was fairly excited to get into the deeper tracks that I had been, almost criminally, misled into believing were worth the time it took to listen to them. It is currently my belief that this is one of the poorest allocations of time I have made this entire school year, and I’ve gone on more than one “Netflix Binge”.

The first song off of the album, Radio Song, is meant to poke fun at the poppy bass grooves that defined popular music in the 80’s. Using cliche lyrics throughout the song I was mildly amused by the humor in it, and though somewhat put off by the song considering it wasn’t particularly good, I foolishly continued listening to the album. With possibly the most famous R.E.M song, Losing my Religion, following the opening track closely, I still felt confident the album could be something. The unconventional use of mandolin and the orchestra playing softly beneath the melody gave a brief glimpse into the wavering musicality of the band, and for a while there I thought I was getting something. The next track, Low was unimpressive on the whole, but I still had hope for the album, thinking that perhaps they’d follow a strong song like Losing My Religion with a slightly weaker piece. It was over the next agonizing twenty six minutes and twelve seconds that I learned how completely wrong I had been about this band.

I was forced to listen to a slew of impressively whiney, shockingly similar, and almost uncomfortably droning songs assaulted my ears in what can only be described as assault, battery, and were I playing them outside, public indecency for the remainder of the album. Each track more remarkably similar to the last, I got to the point near the end of the album that songs would change and I would honestly have no idea.

I literally couldn’t tell when the final song started, but it’s end was probably one of my favorite endings to an album yet… in that the album was done. Compared to the other 90’s albums I’ve reviewed this year I would say this is far and away the worst; so much so that I think if I should ever have the misfortune of hearing another R.E.M song on the radio I might break the offending device in question. While I give this album a 4/10, I still suggest that you take the time to check it out yourself. I may have been extremely underwhelmed by the album, but it is considered highly influential from a musical standpoint and many fans will defend it vehemently. If you should choose not to listen to it, however, feel free to label it a confusing, and overrated, ultimately poor listening experience overall and I doubt many people will make you defend your point.