Here is a little review of the I wrote now that it's sunk in -
As a newer fan of the band, Accelerate was my first R.E.M. album. Once I bought it and fell in love with the band's sound, I went back and picked up, Murmur, Out of Time, Automatic For the People, New Adventures in Hi Fi, and Reveal.
Collapse Into Now is a triumphant return for REM, and explores a much wider range of sonic ground than their previous album. It has something for everyone - fast paced rockers, slow ballads, and everything in between.
Yes, there are a few cringe-inducing moments. On "Alligator," the song starts out with a blazing guitar and a great playful line, "I fell like an alligator/climbing up the escalator/climbing up the escalator, I feel strong!" What could be a classic REM rocker is somewhat spoiled by the awkward, "Hey, hey, alligator! You've got a lot to learn!" chorus featuring annoying guest vocals from Peaches. After a great rocking verse in "That Someone is You," Stipe again makes me scratch my head by jumping up the octave scale to sing, "Pull me up and out of cartoon quicksand! Pull me up and out of meee-eee-ee!" It just doesn't work.
Michael Stipe's vocals are also clearly not what they used to be. He sounded much stronger on Accelerate and spends much of this album half-talking the lyrics, which actually works quite nicely on a song like, "Walk it Back."
I love just about everything else about Collapse, however. "It Happened Today" builds up to a 2 minute harmonizing extravaganza featuring Stipe, Mills, and Eddie Vedder's vocals. The result is pure joy to listen to. "Ublerin" is probably Collapse Into Now's most beautiful chorus. The song grabs you right away and contains some of the most immediate lyrics from Stipe.
Other highlights include the epic chiming guitar and drum into of "Discoverer" accompanied by "Hey babe/this is not a challenge/it just means that I love you/as much as I always said I did." The second track, "All The Best" seems to be Stipe's official declaration that the band is back. "I think I'll sing in rhyme/I'll give it one more time/I'll show the kids how to do it fine, fine fine!" Every time I hear this song I think it would be perfect for the opening of a live show. It's a shame R.E.M will not be taking Collapse Into Now on the road, many of the songs seem perfect for a live setting.
Overall, I am thrilled with the depth and strength of Collapse Into Now. It is another affirmation (as if we needed any) that R.E.M. is one of the greatest bands of recent history and still posses a powerful vitality even after 30 years.