Originally published by L.S. Media. March 9th 2011.

R.E.M have made many notable and groundbreaking albums over the years, so many in fact that their fan base have been spoilt by the richness and depth of the recordings, with many different styles and themes running through each individually tailored album there has been a lot to like and admire of the Georgia band.

Collapse into now is an album that should have followed suit and been amongst the very best that this once mighty band have produced. However with a few exceptions, notably on Oh My Heart and Every day is Yours to Win which sees the band at their melancholic, delightful best, the album seems cliché ridden, desperate to please and tired.

It is unfortunate that the band have taken a break from the recording process during the albums formation, with writes and rewrites heavily influencing the thought patterns in the songs. One of the songs Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I doesn’t even give the impression that it is an R.E.M track, it has the feel of being hastily written to fill up space on the album.

There are bound to be critics out there who will defend the band till they are blue in the face and no doubt laud the band as amongst the best on the planet right now but it seems since the release of Reveal in 2001 the band has really done nothing new and has slipped quietly into the comfort zone of middle age respectability and turning out albums for the sake of it.

It is a shame when a group of such international standing appears to be on the decline, but a few tracks aside there doesn’t seem much on offer from a band renowned for being avant-garde and cutting edge both stylistically and lyrically.

Ian D. Hall