Up is an atmospheric journey and some critics have compared it with the band's delicate and emotionally revealing gem Automatic for the People, but Up is more ambitious and creative, undercut with drama and sonic experimentation. The melodies are generally spare, the beats sparse. Guitars flicker in and out, providing tension and dynamics, while quivering strings, layered keyboards, and washes of feedback colour the songs like textured lines of paint in an oil portrait. More than a decade after their sell-by date, R.E.M. continue to challenge and inspire. Moving into electronic music-influenced territory after delivering the challenging New Adventures in Hi-Fi in 1996, Up is one of R.E.M.’s bravest and most sonically daring records to date. Ending a ten year relationship with co-producer Scott Litt, R.E.M. engaged the production assistance of Pat McCarthy, who was assisted on most tracks of Up by engineer Nigel Godrich, Radiohead's producer.