▁were ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁pin ▁down ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁album ▁so ▁as ▁not ▁to ▁create ▁way ward ▁expect ations . ▁The ▁new ▁material ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁Dublin ▁concert s ▁demonstrated ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁stri pped - down , ▁guitar - dri ven ▁sound ▁than ▁had ▁been ▁featured ▁on ▁the ▁band ' s ▁recent ▁releases , ▁and ▁Mike ▁M ills ▁indicated ▁that ▁the ▁shows ▁gave ▁a ▁good ▁indic ation ▁of ▁the ▁band ' s ▁direction . ▁St ipe ▁said ▁his ▁lyr ics ▁on ▁Acc eler ate ▁were ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁contemporary ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁nation , ▁saying , ▁" When ▁the ▁emp ire ▁is ▁going ▁down ▁the ▁to ile t , ▁it ' s ▁easy ▁to ▁write ▁great , ▁angry ▁songs ." ▁ ▁Descri bed ▁in ▁sound ▁as ▁" b ally ho o ed ▁hard - rock ", ▁S put nik music ▁proc laimed ▁Acc eler ate ▁" a ▁balls ier ▁return ▁to ▁[ the ▁band ' s ] ▁punk ▁roots ". ▁ ▁Prom otion ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁R . E . M . ▁launched ▁the ▁website ▁Nin ety N ights . com , ▁on ▁which ▁a ▁new ▁short ▁clip ▁from ▁Acc eler ate ▁was ▁posted ▁daily ▁until ▁the ▁album ' s ▁release . ▁In ▁February , ▁R . E . M . ▁launched ▁the ▁website ▁super n atur als up ers er ious . com ▁with ▁eleven ▁videos ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁album . ▁A ▁week ▁later , ▁R . E . M