Review Summary: Solid, yet predictable...
So much is made about Pearl Jam’s early 90s success. Debut album “Ten,” and even follow ups “Vs.” and “Vitalogy,” have been considered very high acclaimed records throughout the band’s career, but the band has been unable to mirror that in recent years. Pearl Jam has been able to maintain their great reputation with several good, but not great albums and tremendous live performances. In many ways the glory days may be over for Pearl Jam, but the release of “Backspacer” shows that the band is still very much alive and producing great music. “Backspacer” is not to be compared to its early 90s predecessors, for it is a new direction in the later stages of the band’s career.
The most prominent figure in the band, vocalist Eddie Vedder, is great as he ever been. Vocal performances in “The Fixer,” “Amongst the Waves,” and “Unthought Known,” are classic Vedder. His voice no longer has the angst that it once had such as in “Once,” but his emotion is felt on each note. The listener is not far-fetched to find emotion in the record, for it is displayed from the grungy “Gonna See My Friend,” to the completely acoustic “The End.”
Excellent vocals are not the only highlight on the album however, guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready are great in their own right, providing the record with catchy and unusual leads such as in “Johnny Guitar.” McCready’s play in “Johnny Guitar” is different from anything he has done before, delivering a synth/wah lead after the chorus. McCready shows his true bluesy form, in “Got Some” and “Amongst the Waves,” but the real highlight of the album for McCready is his solo in “Force of Nature.” In a track that is jam-packed with emotion, McCready delivers not the most technical solo of his career, but one of his best complementary performances. Both drummer Matt Cameron and bassist Jeff Ament deserve to be mentioned as well, for they hold their own on their respective instruments.
This record grabs the attention of the listener from the beginning, with the grungy “Gonna See My Friend,” the catchy “Got Some,” and the hook-laden “The Fixer.” Each of these tracks is fun in their own right, but the real masterpieces of the album are located in the second half of the record. “Amongst the Waves” as I mentioned is highlighted by an incredible vocal performance, which is complemented beautifully by a great solo by McCready. The following track “Unthought Known,” is where Vedder really lets loose, especially showing his range near the end of the first verse. Boom Gasper’s keyboards are even a highlight here, providing another dimension of sound for the track. The ultimate underscore of the album in my opinion is “Force of Nature,” which is completely and utterly amazing from the beginning. “Force of Nature” is especially powerful during the bridge and guitar solo and seems to grow with each listen. Along with these incredibly written songs, Pearl Jam even has some fun with The Ramones-esque “Supersonic” which should be a great addition for the band’s live shows. “Supersonic” is almost reminiscent of No Code’s “Mankind” and conveys the tremendous influence that bands such as The Ramones and Buzzcocks had on Pearl Jam.
Overall, “Backspacer” should be praised for years to come, and is a new direction for the band as they mature. Those of you who are expecting another “Ten” or “Vs.” will be disappointed, but at this point that is unrealistic. Pearl Jam is no longer the band they were 18 years ago, and the change is not necessarily for the worse. This record suffers to an extent due to its short length, and none of the songs here really stand up to “Black” or “Jeremy.” This is still a very good album at this point in the band’s career, and fans will be very pleased with this effort.
Recommended Tracks:
Got Some
Amongst the Waves
Unthought Known
Supersonic
Force of Nature
