Next week brings the next installment in the R.E.M. success story: Reckoning. Their debut LP, Murmur, employed the studio the old a distinctive sound out of a myriad of influences. Reckoning is more a record of a rock `n' roll band than a studio record-its more natural and less produced, sounding more like R.E.M. does live. The songs are simpler, with more personal lyrics (though often still hard to make out) and therefore the rewards are different: although Reckoning does not feature a classic track like "Radio Free Europe," its subtlety and craft are genuinely moving nevertheless. Our favorites are "Pretty Persuasion," "Rockville" (exhibiting more than a bit of their Southern roots-just wonderful), "Second Guessing" (a good choice for rock radio), "Little America," "South Central Rain" (a natural single) and "Camera." A reckoning? Hardly-just another fine LP which promises even more great things from the group. We are just beginning to see R.E.M. develop, and we look forward to the long exciting road ahead.

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