July 17, 1997
REM's first full-length album is a brilliant, unique statement - Stipe and the boys have scaled many other peaks since, but they never made another album quite like Murmur. Its arrival in 1983 heralded a new direction for rock and roll. There is no trace of the blues here, that perennial touchstone for most previous rock; there are subtle punk influences, but the artsy, muted electric folk of Murmur was unprecedented.
Each piece works alone - the sighing violins of "Talk About the Passion", Peter Buck's interlocking arpeggios in "Laughing" and the infectious drive of "Catapult" - all are great singles, but Murmur works best as a whole, maintaining its odd, melancholy feel. Bill Berry's steady drumming and Mike Mills' countermelodic bass give the music a warm embrace, balanced by the cool chiming of Buck's guitar and Stipe's strong yet pensive singing. This mix makes Murmur a haunting affair, sounding wise and strangely distant.
Much of this is due to the production: Stipe's mumbled, surging voice is pushed back beneath the cozy rhythm section, leaving the ringing guitars to carry the mood. This mass of contradictions - dense organic base under airy melody, lyrics that feel immediate yet sound aloof - these qualities give Murmur its otherworldly charm.
Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" blew the lid off the America alternative underground, but REM's "Radio Free Europe" started the ball rolling ten years earlier. REM mined their post-punk influences without being ruled by them, and it was this groundbreaking stance that makes Murmur a classic album of low-key passion and striking confidence.
- Jared O'Connor
A new direction
for rock and roll