Everything Flows: Strange Currencies

Trust Me #61
Strange Currencies by R.E.M

My wife and I are currently working our way through The Bear on Disney Plus. It's outstanding television. The first 7 episodes absolutely fly by at a furious pace, then in episode 8, the last in the first series, there is a feature length that really properly begins to introduce the characters to us and the storyline. It blew me away.

Last night we watched episode 2 in series 2. Strange Currencies by R.E.M plays towards the end and it is a simply perfect fit for the scene.

So here it is. Added to my Trust Me series and my Trust Me playlist.

I hadn't heard this song in a long, long time. I remember my brother Ross having R.E.M's Monster album on CD, but although Strange Currencies was released as a single, I didn't remember it at all when I heard it on The Bear. How could I forget a song as good as this? Probably because I haven't listened to Monster this century!

Anyway, that's a whole other thing, lets focus on the song.

Strange Currencies is glorious. Peter Buck's guitar sound is so warm, fuzzy and inviting. Michael Stipe sings his heart out, in full flow, hammering the chorus over driving chords that switch effortlessly to a picked riff.

Things slow down for the final verse, until Stipe is almost breathless as he sings everything he has to say, leading to the chorus again, with Stipe adding a little extra for good measure. His lyrics are so heartfelt and poetic, beautiful to read, sublime to hear.

You know with love comes strange currencies

And here is my appeal

I need a chance, a second chance, a third chance

A fourth chance, a word, a signal

A nod, a little breath

Just to fool myself, to catch myself

And make it real, real

These words, you will be mine

These words, you will be mine, all the time

The production on Strange Currencies is stunning. I've just listened to the song 7 times on headphones and I've not tired of it. R.E.M are on fire, the strings coming in at the end just lift everything higher, add even more emotion

R.E.M were a remarkable band and when you look back at their discography you realise/remember how exceptionally prolific they were. Six albums from Murmur in 1983 to Green in 1988, and then 5 in the 90's from Out Of Time in 1991 through to Up in 1998. They would go on to release a further 4.

I've now enjoyed revisiting Monster on headphone, loving the cranked up, fuzzed, or distorted guitars and the sound of a band having fun. It's like R.E.M went back being a garage band after the largely acoustic/stripped back albums Out Of Time and Automatic For The People.

Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series. For the playlist, search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify , or CLICK HERE