Not only is Collapse Into Now, the new R.E.M. album that arrives tomorrow, being heralded as a return to form, but the band is also taking a page from their early music-video history to promote their 15th studio set.

Longtime R.E.M. fans will remember the band’s original “no lipsyncing” rule for its videos — a vow finally and famously broken with 1991’s “Losing My Religion” — plus visual narratives that were just as puzzling as Michael Stipe’s lyrics (“Fall On Me,” “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It”). Well, it’s time to cue the inscrutable once more, as R.E.M. has commissioned short films for each of Collapse Into Now‘s 12 tracks.

“I say film, just to separate it from music video, because I feel like we’re just way beyond that as a viable medium,” Stipe told The New York Times. “It’s my attempt to approach the idea of an album in the 21st century, and acknowledging that technology has made it possible for the idea of an album to be anything.”

Among those participating in the “Collapse Into Now Film Project,” which Stipe is curating on behalf of his bandmates, are Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens), Sam Taylor-Wood (Nowhere Boy), and jack-of-all-trades James Franco (Oscar host, General Hospital). James Herbert, who lensed classic clips like “Driver 8” and the aforementioned “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It,” is participating, adding some additional cred to the vintage R.E.M. vibe. The complete rundown of which filmmakers are involved with which songs can be found here.

“Mine Smell Like Honey,” from Dominic DeJoseph, arrived at the beginning of February, which starred a silent Stipe, while two others from the film project premiered last week, neither of which feature any R.E.M. members. First, Tom Gilroy’s clip for “It Happened Today” was shared exclusively with The New York Times. Centered on a young boy’s private exploration of the outside world, with scenes of him rummaging through discarded objects, Gilroy’s treatment is part Where The Wild Things Are, part homage to “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It.”

The second, Sam Taylor-Wood’s film for “Überlin,” also features a single male, though its star is a little older. Aaron Johnson, who played John Lennon in Nowhere Boy, is the center of attention, a not entirely surprising casting choice since the 20-year-old actor is engaged to Taylor-Wood and the father of her child. But Johnson’s dancing-in-the-streets bit, perhaps more accurately described as a kind of casual parkour (again!), is revelatory, especially since it’s juxtaposed with such un-dancey number as “Überlin.”

R.E.M. will share the remaining nine entries from the “Collapse Into Now Film Project” over the next several weeks. Check their website for details.

Free download of R.E.M. – “Überlin” via iTunes. Collapse Into Nowis released tomorrow.