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R.E.M. New Adventures in Hi-Fi (WEA 9362 463202) Conceived during the band's Monster tour, stitched together from soundchecks, rehearsals and live shows, R.E.M.'s tenth album is a deliberately tousled affair. The rough edges prove part of its excitement; it bristles with a spontaneity that shows in its variety of styles, running from the folk-tinged `How the West Was Won' through the glam strut of `Wake Up Bomb' (an ill-disguised tilt at young British pretenders Oasis) to the electronic barrage of `Leave'. For all that its lyrics find Michael Stipe dredging up anger, despair and angst, it's not disillusion that one takes away but upliftment.