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Pearl Jam - Source: ONE News -
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In these days of accelerated culture it's not surprising that 2009 saw the first signs of a grunge fashion revival. It also means that Pearl Jam's recent burst of activity is perfectly timed.
There has been the return to form of 2006's self-titled album, Eddie's soundtrack for Into The Wild, a fabulous cover of their beloved Who's Love Reign O'er Me, and the re-mastered debut album Ten (including a $400, turned up to 11 version). Which all means that new album Backspacer is their most anticipated release since the 1990s - and in a nutshell Pearl Jam fans past and present won't be disappointed.
Prior to the below par albums Binaural and Riot Act, Stone Gossard announced they weren't a punk band. Therefore Mike McCready's comments that this album was influenced by pop and new wave was cause for concern, because the reason their last album succeeded was the reconnection with their punk edge.
But Backspacer remains true to the template that delivered strong albums Yield and 2006's Pearl Jam.
It starts with a heart-racing three song blast of punky energy.
Got Some, with its propulsive boogie and Vitalogy era vocals, is their best raucous song since Yield's Do The Evolution, and will be a great moment in their November concerts.
But this album also comes with a new calling card.
While producer Brendon O'Brien brings a raw sound to the album and sharpens the focus to 37 minutes, the biggest new direction is that they seem to be enjoying themselves.
Backspacer refers to a typewriter key used to move backwards before typing again, and lyrically the album follows a similar theme of looking back fondly and forward optimistically.
This idea extends to the video for single The Fixer; harking back to legendary early live shows. Eddie isn't stage diving off speaker stacks like the days of Even Flow, but he certainly looks like he's reconnected with those euphoric times.
Backspacer's lyrics are 100% Vedder (the first since Vitalogy), and are the most upbeat of any Pearl Jam album, but with few sacrifices in song quality that can accompany such positivity.
Even the two drug-referencing opening songs have positive spins - Gonna See My Friend is about visiting a friend trying to stay off drugs. Later, even the sad lonely drunk on Speed Of Sound sees some hope - "wide awake and reaching out".
On The Fixer, Vedder sings "I wanna fight to get it back again" but it's clear he knows they already have.
But it's the pastoral Just Breathe where the band shows their biggest trick - a genuine love song.
While it would be easy to criticise the strings and saccharine lyrics ("I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love"), Vedder brings something from the Into The Wild soundtrack, and sparseness and restraint rescues it from cringe, producing something new and beautiful for Pearl Jam.
Then there's the centrepiece suite of trademark torch song Amongst The Waves (with dual Thin Lizzy guitars), followed by the almost joyous Unthought Known.
There is something of life's journey holding this album together ("I want to live my life with the volume full"), and as the energy winds down, song titles Supersonic (Undertones punk pop), Speed Of Sound, and Force Of Nature propel the listener to The End as Vedder contemplates life's losses and loss of life.
It's a satisfying and uplifting journey.
While Pearl Jam haven't gone out on a limb creatively, there is
enough new direction and strong songs here to revive the interest
of fading fans and get November's concert goers very excited.
tvnz.co.nz has five copies of the new Pearl Jam album Backspacer
one seven inch single of Fixer/ Supersonic to give away.
