“I jumped up,” says the Sad Professor, but I don’t think he’s referring to the album title. That seems to be a bit of poetic irony as the pace of the music goes in the opposite direction. It’s a collection of mostly downtempo songs with singer Michael Stipe delivering inspirational messages in a somber voice. Why Not Smile, he asks a friend, while sounding himself sad enough to cry.
It’s a pretty uplifting ballad though, with a nice build-up of sonic instrumentation stuck to its sides. Listen in a pair of high-fidelity headphones. It sounds almost as beautiful as My Most Beautiful, a romantic beach gem that could be a conceptual sequel to Smile if whoever decided on the order of the songs were thoughtful enough to place the former after the latter.
Bill Berry, the main drummer, is gone. REM, now a trio, instead rely on electronic drum machines and an array of trippy synth effects to get their musical points across. Even much of the rock guitars are laid to rest in place of pianos, chimes and Santa bells. It works well to the point where, at times, the music starts to sound like something made for body relaxation and mind elevation.
my rating : 4 of 5
1998