REM: The Best Songs on the Album "Collapse into Now" (2011)

REM is a band that has been hit and miss with me and my listening taste. They have classics that I will not ever forget, even if they were not amongst my favorite songs growing up, they had pop culture impact. However, they also have a lot of monotonous material that I make sure to skip. "Collapse Into Now," at the time of this writing, is the latest album from the band, and I gave it a good listen through to see if they still had their edge or perhaps sharpened up and found a new one.

The best song on the REM album "Collapse Into Now" is "Every Day Is Yours To Win." However, I suspect many will find the ballady "Walk it Back" to be more favorable.

"Discoverer": This song was kind of like fingernails across a chalkboard to me. Michael Stipe's voice is as grating as the continuous high pitch of the guitars. Reminds me some of their filler work on the album "Monster."

"All The Best": This is classic ramble rock REM where you get to have fun deciphering what the lyrics mean; random or purposeful? Good song.

"Uberlin": Travel along with REM on this song and if you are an REM fan this is a comfortable trip. Not bad for background music.

"Oh My Heart": This song would be 300 times better if it were being sung by Johnny Cash. Even though that Cash style magic isn't captured, not all of the drama is in vein, as this song is a listenable.

"It Happened Today": REM plays in the safe zone here, with lyrics that seems like they would be shouted out, but sung very dry and without energy.

"Every Day Is Yours To Win": I think you companion piece this song with "Everybody Hurts," also from REM. This is not as melancholy as "Everybody Hurts," but delivers some of that vibe with an upbeat message of strength.

"Mine Smell Like Honey": "Mine smell like honey, uh." The uh at the end of the lyric really makes me think that my initial assumption that this was about farting was spot on. Stipe sounds like an old man rattling on and perhaps passing gas.

"Walk It Back": Piano and guitar led ballad with dramatic smoker's vocals. It is a pretty song, but DO NOT seek out the music video, at least not the one I saw on REM's official Youtube channel. An attempt at art I guess where for a portion you get to watch a horse peeing and then follow the trail of the pee as it spreads on the ground.

"Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter": This song also features vocals from the artist known as Peaches. This is another true to the original formula REM rock song, if you played it back to back with another one of their tracks, like "All The Best" you might confuse the two, if it weren't for the addition of Peaches. Kind of fun.

"That Someone Is You": REM is in rock song mode again on this track. Nothing about it makes it stand out in their library of work, for better or for worse. If you're a fan, might as well be a fan of this song too.

"Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brandon and I": A good song exploring thoughts on our heroes and where we stand in life. Lyrically more interesting than the actual musical delivery, more subdued strum along, low rasp.

"Blue": This song also features Patti Smith. It is a blend of musical noise with spoken word poetry, an ending true to form for an alternative rock that exited during the golden period of music to me.