Leaving behind the garagey {\jangle pop} of their first recordings, {$R.E.M.} developed a strangely subdued variation of their trademark sound for their full-length debut album, {^Murmur}. Heightening the enigmatic tendencies of {^Chronic Town} by de-emphasizing the backbeat and accentuating the ambience of the ringing guitar, {$R.E.M.} created a distinctive sound for the album -- one that sounds eerily timeless. Even though it is firmly in the tradition of American {\folk-rock}, {\post-punk}, and {\garage rock}, {^Murmur} sounds as if it appeared out of nowhere, without any ties to the past, present, or future. Part of the distinctiveness lies in the atmospheric production, which exudes a detached sense of mystery, but it also comes from the remarkably accomplished songwriting. The songs on {^Murmur} sound as if they've existed forever, yet they subvert {\folk} and {\pop} conventions by taking unpredictable twists and turns into melodic, evocative territory, whether it's the measured riffs of {&"Pilgrimage,"} the melancholic {&"Talk About the Passion,"} or the winding guitars and pianos of {&"Perfect Circle."} {$R.E.M.} may have made albums as good as {^Murmur} in the years following its release, but they never again made anything that sounded quite like it. [{^Murmur} is also available in an import release, with bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide