Reveal is the long-awaited follow up to REM's 1998 album, Up.

It was produced by Pat McCarthy and the band. Recording begain in Spring 2000 and took place in Athens, Vancouver, Dublin and Miami. "I'd jump on a plane whenever I got stuck," says Michael Stipe, "I'd go to Israel or France, Italy or Denmark, then come back and write some more. That may help explain the high altitude aspects of the album."

The album kicks of with the fantastic The Lifting, an uplifting, up-tempo opener. Track three is All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star), strangely titled but good. It is a bit slower and has been described as "sexy retro".

She Just Wants To Be, an acoustic rhythmic number is another highlight of this album. The haunting Saturn Return follows, a slow 'atmospheric' track. Beat A Drum, track seven, really does remind me of At My Most Beautiful (from Up).

The first single to be taken from the album follows, the radio-friendly Imitation Of Life. I'll Take The Rain is the penultimate track, followed by Beachball which features horns and other instruments not normally associated with REM.

A great piece of work, a fantastic album to listen to.