|
Style: Punkish rock and folk in the R.E.M. tradition; a cross between Accelerate and Out of Time
Top tracks: "Oh My Heart," "Every Day is Yours to Win," "Blue"
"This is my time, and I am thrilled to be alive!" sings R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe on "Blue," the closing number on his band's new album. He has every reason to be happy: Collapse Into Now is the group's most varied and vibrant work in more than a decade, touching on all of their classic modes but never resting on any of them for long. Stipe's positivity goes deeper than a solid new album, though. Collapse hinges on "Oh My Heart," a devastating paean to the ongoing clean-up efforts in New Orleans and a testament to the importance of courage and sacrifice. The twinkling lullaby "Every Day Is Yours to Win" admits that life is not all "cherry pie," but that optimism and endurance are to be treasured—"and that's how heroes are made."
Copyright © 2011 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Annual & Monthly subscriptions available.
- Print & Digital Issues of CT magazine
- Complete access to every article on ChristianityToday.com
- Unlimited access to 65+ years of CT’s online archives
- Member-only special issues
- Learn more
Read These Next
- TrendingAmerican Christians Should Stand with Israel under AttackWhile we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
- From the MagazineWhat Kind of Man Is This?We’ve got little information on Jesus’ appearance and personality. But that’s the way God designed it.españolFrançais
- Editor's PickLet the Seas Rise and Feed the PoorHelping marine biodiversity flourish is a means of participating in God’s work, says an Indonesian theologian.