Music Matters
Don't call it a comeback: R.E.M. shows it's entering a new prime with CollapseInto Now
"Collapse Into Now"
R.E.M.
It doesn’t take long for some albums to announce they aren’t going to be messing around with. Such is the case with the chiming guitars that kick off “Discoverer,” the opening track on R.E.M.’s 15th studio album, Collapse Into Now. You immediately get a sense of purpose as guitarist Peter Buck clears the air, leaving little doubt that these distinguished veterans aren’t just going through the motions. They still have plenty left to say, and attention must be paid.
The rejuvenation for the Athens, Ga., Rock and Roll Hall of Famers began with 2008’s Accelerate, which found them maintaining focus throughout an entire album’s worth of material for the first time in more than a decade. Collapse Into Now manages to expand upon that album’s rock energy by adding ample portions of tenderness and grace to the mix, making it an even more complete triumph.
The group hasn’t completely abandoned the thrust of Accelerate. “Discoverer” is as close to an anthem as this trio gets, and it’s quickly followed up by the thunderous “All The Best,” a slice of defiance that belies singer Michael Stipe’s playful references to his “Quasimodo heart." Later on, the bratty punk spirit of “Mine Smell Like Honey” highlights this band’s underrated fun side.
An odd parade of guest stars adds to the festivities. Eddie Vedder subtly joins the vocal blend on “It Happened Today,” while electro-punk chanteuse Peaches turns up more auspiciously on “Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter,” which, as you can tell by the title, contains some of Stipe’s wildest stream-of-conscious wordplay. On the album-closing “Blue,” Stipe’s longtime muse Patti Smith sings plaintively over his spoken-word poetry, adding just the right touch of experimentation to the proceedings.
Collapse Into Now scores most when it pulls back the reins a bit, letting the band’s acoustic interplay, including welcome helpings of Buck’s evocative mandolin, and melodic skills, aided by the inimitable harmonies of bassist Mike Mills, do the captivating. I’m sure there will be many comparisons made to the band’s sublime 1992 album, Automatic For The People, and, in this case, those comparisons won’t be typical new album hyperbole.
The finesse and emotion with which the band handles “Oh My Heart,” a clear-eyed look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is nothing short of stunning. “Uberlin” captures a bit of the band’s old, college rock aura of mystery. Stipe sings, “I know what I am chasing;” that there is no guarantee his chase will be rewarded renders the song beguilingly bittersweet. R.E.M. finds such a groove with the slower tempos that the simple balladry of “Walk It Back,” adorned with a lovely wash of acoustic guitar and piano and Stipe’s most affecting singing, is just as powerful as any of the thunderous rock songs that surround it.
This type of balancing act is something that the band pulled off with regularity back at the height of its popularity, and it’s almost startling to hear them effortlessly achieve that dexterity once again almost 30 years into their recording career. Collapse Into Now ends just like it began, those chiming guitars reprising to send everyone home. Let’s hope that means that this legendary trio can grab the vibe of those closing moments and this entire album and carry it into their next release.
If they do, we’re going to have to stop calling it a comeback. We’ll have to consider this era to be R.E.M’s second prime.
SAMPLE COLLAPSE INTO NOW
"Discoverer"
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"Oh My Heart"
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"Blue"
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