The Reivers (as Zeitgeist) - Translate Slowly (1985)
Artist: The Reivers (as Zeitgeist)
Author: Sarah
Date: 07/22/2025
Listen: Apple Music | Spotify
Until recently, I've tended to think of this band as just another one of those bands who sound like they wish they could be R.E.M. And there's some truth to that! This album came out about the same time as Fables of the Reconstruction, and you can really hear the stranglehold that R.E.M.'s got on the scene in it in the way they play jangle pop with a murky, folky edge to it. But the thing is that Zeitgeist was able to really embody that vibe in a way that none of the other hangers-on quite managed. That's not to say that they do the best job of copying the sound of REM (that would be Guadalcanal Diary), rather that they do the best job of feeling like there's a truth to it that's just out of reach.
While it's not exactly untrue to say that my interest in Zeitgeist primarily derives from the ways in which they're similar to REM, it would obviously be unfair of me not to talk about the things that make them special beyond that. The first thing one might notice in that respect is they're more literary than the average college rock band of the era; they've got songs based on a James Joyce story ("Araby") and a Faulkner novel ("Sound and the Fury", which I believe is from the perspective of Quentin Compson), and they'd later rename themselves after another Faulkner novel. In the wrong hands, that could easily end up feeling pretentious, but luckily the songs they've written around them are classics (in particular, I've been singing the chorus of "Araby" to myself this whole week).
There's also the voice of Kim Longacre, which soars above everything else and often provides the highlight of the songs, such as the chorus to "Things Don't Change", or the way "Freight Train Rain" feels like some lost hit from the 60s. Actually, the song "Without My Sight", though it didn't really stand out to me at first, now strikes me as a song ahead of its time. Like, that's pure Bitter Air-era Lorelei with Longacre's vocals, that bouncy bass, and that particular Smiths-y guitar sound!
Basically, if you like REM's first three albums, you need to hear this. Even if you don't like those albums, you should still probably hear it!