Pageant was a bridge from observation of problems to the realization that average people can make a difference. I haven't taken the time to make a time line, but it probably paralleled Stipes' increased political activism.
I lost track of them after Green, but I think everything up to there is pretty relevant. They're all just different recordings that follow the band's maturation as people and growth as musicians. They would have become boring quickly if everything sounded like Murmur.
Which bands do you recommend for meaningful lyrics?
Low, Neutral Milk Hotel if you like early REM, a lot of Wilco, Midlake (a bit on the nose though), Sparklehorse, maybe the Replacements. Just not Bon Iver.
I lost track of them after Green, but I think everything up to there is pretty relevant. They're all just different recordings that follow the band's maturation as people and growth as musicians. They would have become boring quickly if everything sounded like Murmur.
Which bands do you recommend for meaningful lyrics?