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**R.E.M. - Out Of Time**
★★★★☆

By 1991, R.E.M. had reached that precarious point where underground darlings risk everything by stepping into the harsh fluorescent glare of mainstream success. After a decade of cryptic mumbling and jangly college rock that had slowly but surely expanded their cult following into something approaching a movement, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry faced their biggest creative gamble yet. The result was *Out Of Time*, an album that would simultaneously vindicate their artistic ambitions and fundamentally alter their relationship with the world.

The Athens, Georgia quartet had been building toward this moment since their previous album, *Green*, which saw them making their major label debut with Warner Bros. But where *Green* still bore the DNA of their I.R.S. Records era – all chiming Rickenbacker guitars and oblique wordplay – *Out Of Time* found them embracing a more expansive sonic palette. The band had grown weary of touring, opting instead to hunker down in John Keane's Athens studio and experiment with instruments they'd previously only flirted with: mandolins, organs, and most prominently, the KMI Pop String sample that would become the backbone of their biggest hit.

Musically, *Out Of Time* occupies a fascinating middle ground between the band's indie rock roots and a more mature, orchestrated approach that would come to define their '90s output. The album's genre-hopping ambitions are evident from the opening moments of "Radio Song," where a hip-hop beat courtesy of rapper KRS-One immediately signals that this isn't your older brother's R.E.M. It's a bold opener that divides opinion to this day, but its very existence demonstrates the band's refusal to be confined by expectations.

The album's undeniable centerpiece remains "Losing My Religion," a song built around Buck's mandolin figure that somehow managed to turn existential anxiety into MTV gold. Stipe's most direct lyrical statement to date – inspired by unrequited obsession rather than actual faith – rides atop a melody so perfectly crafted it feels inevitable. The accompanying video, with its religious iconography and homoerotic undertones, became as iconic as the song itself, proving that R.E.M. could play the mainstream game without sacrificing their artistic integrity.

But *Out Of Time*'s true strength lies in its deep cuts. "Near Wild Heaven" showcases Mills' increasingly prominent backing vocals in a slice of harmony-drenched pop perfection that recalls The Byrds at their most celestial. "Half a World Away" demonstrates the band's gift for melancholy, with Stipe's vocals floating over a bed of acoustic guitars and subtle strings. The album's most experimental moment, "Country Feedback," strips everything down to its emotional core – just voice, guitar, and raw feeling – creating one of their most powerful statements about isolation and disconnection.

The influence of producer Scott Litt cannot be overstated. His work here builds on the foundation laid with *Green* but pushes the band toward a more polished, radio-friendly sound without neutering their essential weirdness. The production walks a tightrope between accessibility and artiness, allowing songs like "Shiny Happy People" – featuring The B-52's Kate Pierson on vocals – to exist alongside moodier fare like "Belong."

*Out Of Time* catapulted R.E.M. from college radio favorites to global superstars, selling over 18 million copies worldwide and earning them three Grammy Awards. More importantly, it proved that alternative rock could achieve massive commercial success without compromising its core values – a lesson that would prove invaluable as the '90s alternative explosion took hold.

Thirty years on, the album's legacy remains complex but undeniable. While some critics argue it marked the beginning of R.E.M.'s commercial period at the expense of their underground credibility, it's impossible to deny the quality of the songwriting or the album's cultural impact. Songs like "Losing My Religion" have transcended their era to become genuine standards, while deeper cuts continue to reward repeated listening.

*Out Of Time* stands as R.E.M.'s great leap forward – a document of a band brave enough to risk everything in pursuit of something greater. That they largely succeeded makes it all the more remarkable.