Reckoning

After Murmur turned the Athens, Ga., quartet into mini-stars, R.E.M. didn’t waste time, with Reckoning slipping into stores a short year after that mysterioso debut album. Certainly a less mind-altering experience than its predecessor, Reckoning was hardly a retreat; its often more straightforward charms served to bring another view of the band’s gifts to light. Strong hints of acoustic-based glories to come were present in moments as varied as the countryish college-radio hits “So. Central Rain” and “(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville” and the raga-rock experiment “Time After Time,” while full-on stompers like “Pretty Persuasion” and “Little America” showcased drummer Bill Berry as a cogent musical engine. Through all this, a modesty prevailed, as if a clear decision had been made to simply do the work and go. But the steps R.E.M. was taking were long, hurtling ones.