REM haven’t made a truly essential album since drummer Bill Berry’s departure 14 years ago, but 2008’s Accelerate came close; in its righteous fuzz, the band sounded inspired for the first time in a long time. Collapse Into Now is even better, but in a very different way. Charmingly scattered, the album plays like a summation of the band’s major-label years, with echoes of Out of Time (the jangly “It Happened Today), Automatic for the People (the haunting “Oh My Heart”) and Monster (the wonderfully silly “Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter”). It may not stand fully on its own in the REM discography, but its strength comes from how skilfully it leans on the band’s storied history.
This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2011.
Ive heard it three times; ‘Oh My Heart’ is instantly familiar; like a new friend you ve met for the first time. This thing ‘Rocks, it Folks and it REMs ” through out each track.
I am glad REM is back.
-Brent
Ive heard it three times; ‘Oh My Heart’ is instantly familiar; like an old friend you ve met for the first time. This thing ‘Rocks, it Folks and it REMs ” through out each track.
I am glad REM is back.