Here's a quick Track-By-Track of Collapse Into Now:
Discoverer - The opening track is a throwback to class REM tracks, like What's The Frequency, Kenneth? Radio Free Europe, and Orange Crush. It has some really fantastic guitar, which you hear right off the bat.
All The Best - A great rocker that seems fitting to follow the blistering opener. It's hot and heavy, it's got thick guitars and deep lyrics when you really sit down and listen to them.
Uberlin - This song is, to me, eerily reminiscent of the band's hit "Losing My Religion". The guitar is quick and catchy, Stipe's lyrics are nice, clear, and descriptive as he sings, "I know what I am chasing / I know that this is changing me / I am flying on a star into a meteor tonight" and continues to go on, "I will make it through the day and the day becomes the night / I will make it through the night." Good stuff right here.
Oh My Heart - This great song sounds like something left off of the band's Automatic for the People. It's a sad, loving ballad. Stipe gushes the lyrics out in an almost bored, monotone voice...which is not a bad thing. The way he so effortlessly sings the verses and the repetitive chorus of, "Oh my heart! Oh my heart!" puts extra meaning on this song.
It Happened Today - "This is not a parable, this is a terrible. This is a terrible thing." Michael Stipe opens this song, saying that he has "earned [his] wings". Eddie Vedder guests on this track, but unless I had previously been informed of his guesting stint, I would have had no idea that he performed on this one.
Every Day is Yours to Win - This is a soft song that reminds me of a certain Band of Horses tune. Stipe opens up with a bunch of rhymes and then says, "I cannot tell a lie. It's not all cherry pie. But it's all there waiting for you, yeah you." The guitar is ever-present in the background and the drumming is soft and melancholy. Not the best track on the album, but it is a welcome addition.
Mine Smell Like Honey - My personal favorite song off the new album. A classic REM track right here. It is a riotously fun ride. It's weird, it's funny, it makes you wanna jump off your seat and start rocking some awesome air guitar.
Walk It Back - This is a soft, yearning piano ballad. "What would you have me say? Instead of what I said?" Stipe asks in this almost apologetic song. It is one you certainly must hear. Halfway through the song, the beat picks up and Stipe sings some of the best vocals of his career.
Alligator Aviator Autopilot Anitmatter - "Hey, hey, alligator, you've got a lot to learn / I have got, I've got a lot to learn." Stipe takes the role of several different people/animals/objects...hence the name. It is a riveting track that reminded me a lot of "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)".
That Someone Is You - This track is only 1:43 long. It's the shortest on the album, but it definitely makes it's inclusion on the album known. It's a rocker, one of the harder ones on the album. "And with the fury lock of Sharon Stone Casino, Scarface Al Pacino, '74 Torino / I Need someone else to make the first move....that someone is you!" It's a fun track.
Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando, and I - Despite the mouthful of a name, as you would expect, Stipe effortlessly belts out the voice on this song without skipping a beat. The pounding bass drum can be heard throughout the song and it leads to a very ominous sound. It's a good one.
Blue - One of the best off the album. Definitely in the top 3 for me. It's the longest track on the new album, clocking in at 5:46, and it uses every bit of that. Blue is a great choice for a closer as it emasculates the entirety of Collapse Into Now in that short almost 6 minute song. It ends with a "re-imagining" of Discoverer's signature guitar line and it is just terrific. It leaves you wanting more, it leaves you sad that REM is not touring to support this album, because Blue would be an awesome song to see live in concert.
So good.
