R.E.M. “Collapse Into Now” (Warner)
R.E.M.’s “Collapse Into Now” opens with a pair of crunching rock songs not far from those on 2008’s solid but one-dimensional “Accelerate.” About half of the album follows suit — sometimes with winning abandon, such as the garage rock of “Alligator Aviator Autopilot” or the soaring “Mine Smell Like Honey.” But what makes “Collapse” the best R.E.M. album since drummer Bill Berry left is its breadth and familiarity. The trio doesn’t just look back to “Monster”; they remember “Automatic for the People.” There’s plenty of Peter Buck’s mandolin and acoustic jangle, Mike Mills’ harmony vocals, and Michael Stipe’s soberly beautiful baritone (but with little of his distracting self-importance).
“This is my time and I am thrilled to be alive,” Stipe states in “Blue,” which also features Patti Smith. R.E.M.’s time was in the first half of its 30-year career, but “Collapse” sounds pretty thrilling right now. Steve Klinge, Philadelphia Inquirer
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, “Rare Bird Alert” (Rounder)
With his introductory bluegrass album, 2009’s “The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo,” actor, writer and comedian Steve Martin proved he could write and play with a talent comparable to top-level acoustic musicians. Across 16 songs, most of them instrumentals, his banjo work measured up with his all-star supporting cast.
For “Rare Bird Alert,” Martin records with the Steep Canyon Rangers, a well-regarded bluegrass ensemble that backed him on tour. He limits guests this time, but employs two marquee names: Paul McCartney, sounding decidedly un-British, on “Best Love,” written by Martin for his wife, Anne; and the Dixie Chicks on the beautiful “You,” a ballad about how a relationship’s end can include fond memories, even if things didn’t work out.
But the album’s biggest difference comes from more vocals, allowing Martin to write lyrics that express the mix of braininess and goofiness that has made him such a popular comedian. He includes a string-band cover of his million-selling 1978 novelty hit, “King Tut,” and an original, “Atheists Don’t Have No Songs,” done gospel style, about how non-believers lack a catalog of good spirituals.
“Jubilation Day” celebrates the end of a relationship with glee — and humor.
Still, the foundation of “Rare Bird Alert” is the tight musical interplay of an outstanding group of musicians — with Martin leading the way. Michael McCall, The Associated Press
