Review Summary: All the thoughts you never see, you are always thinking
Pearl Jam has one of the more expansive discographies of the modern era of bands, with nine studio albums and many more live and compilation albums. Simply put, there’s a lot of Pearl Jam to be heard. Yet still when the topic of Pearl Jam is discussed, the focal point becomes their debut, Ten. However justified this may be, due to just what Ten was and what it became for the Grunge music scene, it unjustly sweeps the rest of their albums under the rug. A band that has been producing, at the very least, quality music for almost twenty years can’t be defined by their debut album, however great it may be, especially when the later albums were in a completely different genre than said debut. Pearl Jam is one of the few bands to; I use this phrase lightly, escape the Grunge era and continue to produce great music. From early on efforts of Vitalogy and No code to more recent Binural and Self-Titled, a.k.a Avocado, Pearl Jam has been putting out music at a fairly consistent pace, leaving plenty for the avid PJ fan to the radio-hit-lover and everything in-between. The most recent of these albums, Backspacer, adds yet another excellent addition to the vast collection of Pearl Jam music to savor, proving yet again that PJ is not just another grunge-era one record wonder, but a brilliant part of the alt-rock family.
The standout feature of Pearl Jam has always been lead singer, Eddie Vedder, and that remains true here. Throughout the record, Vedder’s voice shines as it fluctuates to fit each role in each song, from heavy-hitting “Gonna See My Friend” and “Got Some” to mellow “Amongst The Waves” and “The End”, Vedder proves that he still has the vocal capabilities of producing masterpieces. With each “cluster” of songs being very different, Vedder’s voice ties each of these together to create a very cohesive piece of work. The album is structured like a concert, and it plays like one too. Openers “Gonna See My Friend” and “Got Some” start it off sufficiently enough, kicking off the show with a bang. While they may be some of the weaker tracks on the album, they set a powerful tone right off the bat and show that the guitar work of Mike McCready and Stone Gossard is as on-point as ever. The harder-rock stylings continue into radio-hit “The Fixer”. This catchy almost pop-esque song is one of the best on the album, with Vedder’s upbeat, happy lyrics creating a very enjoyable song to listen to. “Johnny Guitar” serves as an adequate transition song from the heavier tracks into the slower, almost ballad-like ones. “Just Breathe” and “Amongst the Waves” slow the album down and provide two of the better songs on the album. Both have become singles and rightfully so, Vedder’s chilling vocals on “Just Breathe” are some of the most powerful he’s sung in years, while “Amongst The Waves” provides excellent contrast to its sad-toned predecessor, with cheery lyrics that, interpret how you will, are probably about surfing.
“Unthought Known” is next; with its simple style and lyrical content, it harkens back to the old age of Pearl Jam; of songs like “Wish List” and “Betterman”. “Supersonic” and “Speed of Sound” follow and meld together into what feels like a single track that drags on too long, but that feeling is immediately broken with “Force of Nature”. One of the strongest tracks and one of my personal favorite PJ songs, “Force of Nature” has an Alt-Rock feel with a heavy guitar line, Matt Cemeron’s pounding drums, and a blasting chorus line. It’s the kind of song that leaves you hooked and wanting something more, which is where “The End” comes in. This fitting title closes out the album with an extremely powerful collection of raw emotion and sorrow. It feels almost like an encore, after the band has left the stage after “Force of Nature”, the crowd is on their feet and Vedder comes out on stage alone and sings this ballad. It’s the kind of song that if you were at that concert you would leave not knowing how you felt. To say “The End” is a powerful, moving song wouldn’t do it justice. The perfect note to end on, it ends an album as all great albums end, with the feeling of completion.
Backspacer, simply put, is another great Pearl Jam album. They’ve created, over the years, a level that their music lives up to. There are certain bands that when they put out new music, you know It’s going to be good; Pearl Jam is in that category and Backspacer certainly fits the mold. The best part of this album is that it’s never too far off mark. Where it goes astray, it does so just barely. Songs “Supersonic” and “Speed of Sound” are perfectly fine songs; the problem is their location on the album. The same can be said of “Gonna see my Friend” and “Got Some”, these songs aren’t anywhere near bad, nor do they take away from the album. I’m not about to say this is a classic album, but it is definitely worth picking up for anyone who likes music, damn good music.
Album rating: 3.75
