R.E.M. : Collapse Into Now :: Review
At this point in their career I would have figured that R.E.M. stood for S.O.S after the flurry of bad albums they released preceded by the departure of drummer Bill Berry in the late 90’s. Thankfully, “Collapse Into Now” finds some life left in the three-legged dog that sounds more like the band that I used to adore. I’m not saying that “Collapse Into Now” ranks with “Reckoning” or even “Fables of the Reconstruction” but on their 15th album, R.E.M. do not embarrass themselves quite like they did on “Reveal” or “Around the Sun.” Jacknife Lee who previously helmed the stoic, “Accelerate,” produced “Collapse Into Now” amidst stronger material. However there’s something about “Collapse Into Now” that feels hollow, perhaps it’s the sound of band fulfilling a contractual obligation but “Collapse Into Now” leaves me feeling empty at times and wishing for what was hinted at in the press surrounding the album’s release.
As previously stated in another track review, the opener “Discoverer” felt fairly rote and somewhat thin for an R.E.M. number. “All The Best” is more muscular and is fairly reminiscent of material from “Accelerate.” There’s a decent organ breakdown in the middle of the song that caused my ears to prick up and I almost thought R.E.M. was kicking up the dirt into a rave-up but it ends just as it begins. “Uberlin” demonstrates that at least the band has enough sense to cherry pick from their best tracks particularly “Drive” from “Automatic for the People” when composing a rewrite. If I wanted to be completely cynical I would suggest that you look for a writing credit to John Paul Jones in the liner notes but I won’t be that guy.
“Oh My Heart” follows sweetly and the New Orleans inspired track almost feels like classic R.E.M. with its gently strummed instrumentation and soaring vocal. “It Happened Today” is a decent follow up but the saccharine lyrics overwhelmed me. There’s too much “hip-hip hurray” in the song to make me feel anything but blasé. The same goes for the daily affirmation styled “Every Day Is Yours To Win” which could have been written by Stuart Smalley. I guess it’s ok that R.E.M. don’t take themselves too seriously on the tongue in cheek “Mine Smell Like Honey.” I don’t think I want to know what Stipe is going on about, so whatever…it’s cool.
“Collapse Into Now” stumbles on the maudlin, “Walk It Back” and the uber-hokey Peaches guest-starring rocker “Alligator_ Aviator_Autopilot_ Antimatter” and indicates the latter should have been left as a possible b-side. I don’t know how many times R.E.M. can recycle the riff from “It’s the End of the World” but it doesn’t work on the tired filleresque strains of “That Someone Is You.” “Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I” works mainly because it’s not “That Someone Is You” and because the mandolin conjures images of R.E.M. when they were whole. Closer “Blue” is an odd and ghostly track that features the Patti Smith on guest vocals as Michael Stipe sounds like he’s phoning it in from a satellite until those familiar riffs from “Discoverer” start to chime in again.
“Collapse Into Now” finds R.E.M. crawling from the abyss of irrelevance but where it leaves them is anyone’s guess.
Rating: 
-
cakea
