Recorded at soundchecks and in mobile studios during and shortly after the tour that very nearly killed R.E.M., ‘New Adventures’ is the band’s last great record. What stands out is how unified and coherent the album feels, considering it was recoded in such a transient, piecemeal fashion. The big rock numbers land better than most of their equivalents on ‘Monster’ – especially the full throttle ‘Departure’ – while some of the quieter moments are on a par with R.E.M.’s best; not least the ominous ‘E-Bow The Letter’ and the tender sweetness of ‘Electrolite’ and ‘Be Mine’. The centrepiece, however, is the epic ‘Leave’, R.E.M.’s longest song and one of their finest moments. ‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’ is the sound of the band letting the music take them where it wants and ends up looser and more vibrant than anything else post-‘­Automatic For The People’.