aaamusic | On 21, Jan 2011

Stuck in a tiny bar in central London, I am one of the few privileged who has the chance to listen to the new R.E.M. album. The venue is small and the P.A. system is a disgrace, I am honestly concerned about the quality of what I am about to hear.

Strangely enough for such a regularly obtuse human being Michael Stipe has it pretty much on the money for this particular record. Taking place after the full steam ahead college rock of previous record Accelerate, this, the brilliantly titled Collapse into Now is in his words a combination of the guitar laden adrenaline rush of that aforementioned album with the melodicism and introspection of 1992’s earth shaking Automatic For The People. And in that simple enough statement, he’s set a near unattainable goal for him and his band, Automatic made them rock n roll godheads and Accelerate was the record that steadied them after a couple of shoddy albums in the late nineties, so even if he’s on the mark musically, it remains to be seen whether this album will have the effects it’s predecessors have.

On the subject of Accelerate itself, R.E.M have pulled off a pretty stunning career resurgence that is on par with the rut the Paul Weller pulled himself out of in spectacular fashion just recently, both had waning commercial clout and critical acclaim that was nowhere to be found, before Weller steadied himself with 22 Dreams and then knocked it out the proverbial park with last years vitriolic Wake Up The Nation. In the case of R.E.M, Accelerate re-established them as the rough and ready Rock n Roll band they are at heart, (bear in mind that this is still the same band that cut their teeth playing backwater bars in the same weekend as the likes of Black Flag) and with Collapse into Now the stage is set to unleash their game changer. And have they? Christ alive yes…

Given that the band have adopted a slightly devil may care attitude to keeping this record under wraps, a whole 4 songs have been online for a while now, leaving 8 songs the Atlanta, Georgia trio have left, to surprise us all with. Discoverer kicks us off in strident fashion, in all honesty, the track plods on the first couple of listens however it quickly evolves into a strident, stately beast of a track. It sounds like a band in control, comfortable in their position as Rock n Roll elder statesmen, no longer having to resort to the billion miles an hour thrash of Accelerate opener Living Well is the Best Revenge to sound fresh. This is Automatic for the People covered by a garage band, recalling Document high point Finest Worksong in its dignified power and ringing, yet raging guitars. This, and pretty much all of the album, will sound utterly majestic live.

This being a wine bar with a sound system that’s treble and fuck all else, the lyrics, usually what marks R.E.M out as more than just a college rock band, still remain a mystery, however if they’re anything like Stipe’s still faultless howl, then he at least means every word of them, sounding faultless over the cranberries power-pop of Mine Taste Like Honey, and Every Day Is Yours To Win.

In all, this album should sound like a band under pressure. After the success of Accelerate, the sound of them going hell for leather and seeing what happens, the current situation is R.E.M realising that they could achieve the kind of status they had with Automatic for the People, and meticulously trying to create it. With that in mind however, this sounds utterly effortless, a band in control of themselves, writing the best material they’ve written in a long time and obviously excited by their predicament. R.E.M then, they were back a long time ago, but with Collapse into Now, they’re back to their best.

Author: Will Howard