Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

A new, evolved side to R.E.M. emerged on Automatic for the People. The mid-tempo pacing that was the band’s longstanding sweet spot was quite suddenly replaced with slow tempo-driven songs which, in my opinion, were the best songs on the album, including “Nightswimming”, “Everybody Hurts” and the most underrated track of the bunch: “Drive.”

On “Drive”, R.E.M. hopped in the car and took us on a slow, prodding journey through a myriad of musical expressions. Its pit stops were western, taking us through a landscape of cactuses, tumbleweeds and abandoned drive-in theaters. But the destination was orchestral, featuring some of the band's most iconic symphonic moments. What makes “Drive” one of the best R.E.M. songs are the lyrics. Stipe’s poeticism is on full display with lyrics that don’t require musical accompaniment.

“Maybe I ride, maybe you walk. Maybe I drive to get off, baby.”