This is part of a series of mini-reviews of R.E.M.’s studio albums, ranked worst to best. (Don’t worry; I’ll keep them short.)

#16 and Worst: Around The Sun.

Confession time: I have only heard this album 1.5 times or so. I got the CD from the library sometime after it was released, and put it into my car’s player. About halfway through the record, I gave up. It wasn’t bad; that’s the worst thing. It was dull. D-U-L-L. No one song seemed wrong, but the whole vibe was as if the band had checked out while still continuing to sing and play. They didn’t care. So I didn’t care.

I listened to the entire thing again a couple of days ago. And I still feel as if it’s a group going through the motions. It’s like an R.E.M. album created by AI. And that’s bad.

SAVING GRACE: It’s a nice listen. It’s just not memorable. And the songs they performed live came out better.

BEST SONGS: I guess Leaving New York and Boy In The Well, since they both stood out a bit.

WORST SONGS: The Outsiders, with Q-Tip rapping. Please no.