REM - Collapse Into Now

This album should have been a return to their renaissance period in the 1990's but what we get is wet turd from REM. There is nothing on this record that would light a fire under any of the bands fans. After listening to Stipe's hollow lyrics and with a large echo added to them to take away most of the flaws and nuances any music fan would never want to repeat listening to any of the albums twelve cuts.

I can't help but hit the skip button about halfway through each song. The music is just so pedestrian and pales in comparison to their post grunge era music. I can understand them being an older band and maybe not having the creative inspiration to give up an album of amazing tunes but when your nowhere in the same league and devoid of all aspirations it might be time to retire or move on to something more inspiring. This is the culmination of the bands worst period of output. With the weakness of Up, Revel, Around The Sun and Accelerate then the bad drops the limp and empty Collapse Into Now REM have nowhere to go but up. I don't think they can do any worse and if the next album does happen to be even less than this one I hope it will be their last if this album doesn't turn out to be just that, their last.