Tonight R.E.M. ran a special across the country on a number of radio stations to promote their new cd Accelerate which drops April 1st. They had a Q&A session and premiered a few of the songs. The cd will have a 11 tracks and clocks in under 40 minutes. Its nothing like the last 3 cds which featured a more somber mood with multi layer textures and sounds. This cd is straight up rock, stripped down to the basics and aggressive in nature. Its loud and noisy (think Husker Du) and something you would expect from a group of 20 year olds, not a band who is on their 14th studio release. I have to say I really enjoyed the new tracks, they are fresh and not over produced at all. Its a very raw sound for R.E.M. and one that might take some getting used to for some. This is one of the reasons I love these guys, they are willing to try new things and don't shy away from a challenge. I can't wait to listen to the full cd and it will definitely be one that will be in my top 5 this year. Now we can only cross our fingers for a Detroit stop on their summer tour. Nothing so far but its still early.