Charades, pop skill, water hyacinth - named by a poet

Continuing my trip across the output of Athens' finest...

Reveal (2001)

I don't really remember too much about this, but I seem to recall it's a better album than Up but maybe doesn't have quite so many high points - let's see, shall we?

Side one – "Chorus side"

1. The Lifting
They've tried another lowkey/shimmery opener and this one is much more successful - it certainly doesn't hurt that it has a chorus (almost, anyway!)

2. I've Been High
Yeah, this shimmers past nicely as well.

3. All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)
Quite a nice sing-along number - yes, it's all very different from their earlier stuff, but at least they're putting the effort in here.

4. She Just Wants To Be
This leans back to their earlier stuff - particularly when it's just Michael and Peter to start with.  It's also nicely sing-along as well.

5. Disappear
Another fine enough song - both looking backwards and forwards.

6. Saturn Return
Some nice piano on this, but the song as a whole doesn't quite work for me.

Side one – "Ring side"

1. Beat A Drum
Yeah, I like this one - a nice chorus to it.

2. Imitation Of Life
Easily the track of the album - nicely cryptic sing-along lyrics over a decent tune.  The band just feel more together on this than they have done on a lot of their stuff recently.  It's also got a very cool video - directed by Garth Jennings who also did Sing (amongst other films).

3. Summer Turns To High
Fine, but nothing more

4. Chorus And The Ring
Ditto

5. I'll Take The Rain
Yeah, I like this one.  Michael sounds very plaintive on it.

6. Beachball
A nothing track to end the album - a disappointing finish.

Yeah, as I remembered - it's a better album than Up, but it doesn't have too many peaks.  "Imitation Of Life" is the obvious choice for the playlist and "All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star) and "I'll Take The Rain" definitely join it and I think "Beat A Drum" just squeaks in as well - I'm feeling very mean for those earlier albums that were only three track albums though.

Wikipedia tells us that Pat McCarthy is back in the producer's chair and it's more back to their expected sound, with some likening it to AFTP.  "Imitation of Life" got to #1 in Japan but failed in the US - it's odd what the public take to or don't, isn't it?  The album did pretty well though - #1 in quite a few countries, including here (and #6 in the US).  In an interview in 2021, Michael suggested that maybe this was now his favourite R.E.M. album (having overtaken NAIHF) and Mike Mills also claimed in 2023 that "I think our hidden gem is Reveal. There’s some true beauty on that record".

And I think it's an argument worth considering - it's certainly an interesting album, but I'm not sure it really "feels" like an R.E.M. album.  However, things were about to get far, far worse...

Up - Not their finest
Around The Sun - Just the worst