Because the band didn't break up and none of the members died (though drummer Bill Berry came frightfully close), R.E.M. suffered through the commercial backlash and creative inertia that engulfs many longstanding outfits. They never became a "greatest hits" act, but they didn't put out much in the way of compelling new music.

After 2004's "Around the Sun" flat lined, the band appeared to be fizzling into the "Well, we had a great run..." category.

I saw the band on the "Vote For Change" tour and was impressed by the passion and power. I wondered if the group could ever approach the urgency of those early albums or mega hits.

The band's 14th album, "Accelerate," released on March 31, answers that question.

Amid a backdrop of searing guitars and razor-sharp, politically-charged lyrics, which Stipe spews through gritted teeth, R.E.M. returns to its roots. Though older and unimaginably rich, Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills -- aided by longtime sideman Scott McCaughey and ex-Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin -- recapture the spirit of a band of brothers who toured the country by van, living on bologna sandwiches and crashing on fans' couches.

The opening track, "Living Well is the Best Revenge," could have been an outtake from the late 1980s, but the lyrics are clearly a swipe at the Bush Administration:

"Don't turn your talking points on me
History will set me free
The future is ours, and you don't even rate a footnote."

You wonder if "Mr. Richards" is a blast at Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove or all of the above when Stipe sings: "Mr. Richards, your conviction / Had us cheering in the kitchen."

At the urging of U2's The Edge, R.E.M. enlisted producer Jacknife Lee, who has worked with Editors and Bloc Party. The result is a sonic punch in the nose. Unlike the languid songs that marked the bands' early work, there is no time for reflection in these cuts. The album's 35-minute run time, which is really the only true drawback of the work, doesn't permit it. Just when you begin wondering if a track would have fit on "Green" or "Out Of Time," it ends and another slamming track follows.

Before you know what hit you, Stipe and friends are wailing away on "I'm Gonna DJ (at The End of the World)," a natural companion to "It's The End Of The World As We Know It," and a seemingly natural set-closer.

"Accelerate" doesn't break new ground. It's simply a refreshing and rather optimistic reminder of why we liked the band in the first place. Listening to the jangly guitars, jagged lyrics and Mills' soaring harmonies is like welcoming back an old friend, or an older sister, after too long an absence.