Following the release of a solo track this past June, The Guardian reports that former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck will be coming out with a full album this Friday, though it will be a decidedly small affair. The album (title to be announced) marks the first major release to come from an R.E.M. member since the band called it quits last September. It will begin as a limited-edition run of 2,000 vinyl copies.
According to an announcement Buck posted on R.E.M.'s official website Monday (which begins with the weirdly Chandlerian overture, "Baja Mexico, 3 a.m.: I've got a glass with a little bit of Tequila left in it"), he started writing music while recovering from a severe back injury that sharply limited his mobility. He also wants to make perfectly clear that people shouldn't take this too seriously. "This is not a career," he says in the note. "It is something I am doing for fun."
The album will be released on Mississippi Records and features numerous collaborators, including Corin Tucker, Jenny Conlee (of The Decemberists), and Patti Smith's guitarist, Lenny Kaye.