The release of R.E.M.'s latest has at least one critic wondering whether the band still has any steam left in it. Same as it happened back in 2001.

'Twas The End Of R.E.M. As We Knew It (Do We Still Feel Fine?)

May 15 will see the release of R.E.M.'s new plate, Reveal, which will show whether, after their first drum machine record, the Bill Berry-less group still has it. Yet, there's already advance word that they don't, and they haven't for a while. That's the opinion published by Slate, that respected icon of music criticism. According to them, the band has undergone three stages in their professional life: the 'college rock' era, the top-of-the-world years, and the awkward decline, 'marked by 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi and the departure of Berry. Surprise! Now most R.E.M. songs are dirges, which go nowhere.' Horse puckey. R.E.M. have been together for 20 years, and yes, 'reinvention's hard when you're pushing 40,' but they can't be counted out yet.

With all the frequent questioning, it seems R.E.M. will age as gracefully as the Rolling Stones. And these days, that can hardly be considered a compliment.