REM was one of my favorites back around 1991, up there with U2. I absolutely love their early to mid-80's stuff, but I haven't heard anything they've put out since New Adventures, except the singles.
I can appreciate Automatic, and it has beautiful stuff, but I prefer the cryptic, bouncy material like Wolves, Lower; Catapult; Hyena; Live and how to live it; and Pretty Persuasion. I don't have a clue what any of those songs are about, but there's something to be said for music that can move me emotionally without a real lyrical catalyst... Just the drive of the music and the urgency in the vocal delivery, which is more like another musical instrument than "lyrics."
I guess fans of Sigur Ros can relate. And really, U2 fans as well. I mean, really, what is it about "I'm wide awake, I'm not sleeping" in Bad that moves people to tears? Bono could be singing "The tire tool is in the trunk" at that key, and I would think, "man, that guy is dealing with some powerful stuff."
The REM albums that have not lost their grip on me are Murmur and Life's Rich Pageant. Other songs that I love: Crazy; Orange Crush; You are the Everything; Sweetness Follows; Camera; King of Birds; Driver 8; Gardening at Night... I could go on a long time.