R.E.M. is back?

Yeah, I think they are.  I'd written them off after some of the crap on 1987's Document.  The had a few good songs on that album, and a smattering of worthwhile tunes subsequently, but the clear soaring rhythms and gonzo wordplay lyrics were mostly gone.
Now comes Collapse Into Now, to be released this March 8th.  If you've got the bandwidth you can stream the whole wonderful mess here from NPR until the release date.  It's hideously compressed and lo-fi but it's a good sample and the price – free! – is right.
So how is it?  Good.  It's not exactly the same as their 1980–1986 glory days, but it's full of sharp acoustic strings, up front vocals, nonsense lyrics, catchy hooks, and it well... sounds like R.E.M.  A lot like their early music, but mellowed without being blunted.  Like they never went down that 25-year rathole, but just matured their original sound while they played into middle age.  Wish it'd really happened that way, but what the hell, here they are and the music is (a) back and (b) good.

Ta-daaa!