Nothing left to say

Despite the presence of a certain Eddie Vedder's vocals and the might of a track that just might be the best thing about R.E.M. since Man on the Moon, their latest album falls short of living up to the band's real talent

Collapse into Now
EMI Records
Rs 395

They came, saw, conquered, then decided to repeat themselves. This lesson reveals itself to the casual listener, or humble critic, on Track 3 of R.E.M.'s fifteenth studio album. Uberlin could well have been a B-Side to Drive, the gorgeous single that quickly turned annoying when MTV was still in the habit of heavy rotation (and, for that matter, the habit of actually playing music). It was also when R.E.M. still counted Bill Berry as it's drummer.

In the 14 years since Berry's departure, the only bright spot in the band's discography has been Accelerate, released three years ago. This may be why the remaining triou00a0-- Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills ufffd set out to replicate the formula, to the extent of bringing back on board Garret 'Jacknife' Lee, co-producer of their last album. The result works, but only in fits and starts.

Don't let the opener put you off. Discoverer tries hard to fly, but falls to earth rather quickly. It may sound better when played live. Things begin to rock with track two (All the Best), but the best thing about Collapse into Now comes a little after the halfway mark. It's called Walk It Back, and is possibly the nicest thing the band has given us since Man on the Moon. Also worthy of much praise is the acoustic penultimate track Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I. The curiously titled Mine Smell Like Honey should also find a place on the inevitable next edition of their Greatest Hits (the last one hit shelves in 2003).

What R.E.M. need to focus on, at some point before they enter a studio again, is the songwriting. Take the track It Happened Today, for instance. It sounds perfectly lovely, and even boasts the presence of a certain Eddie Vedder on backing vocals. And then, they ruin it all with this line: 'It happened today. Hooray! Hooray! It happened. Hip, hip, hooray!' The other track featuring a guestu00a0-- Patti Smith on album closer Blueu00a0-- doesn't fare much better either.

The most annoying thing about a middling release from R.E.M. is the knowledge that they are capable of so much more. The sad thing is it's as if they have run out of things to say. Worse, it sometimes seems as if they know it too.