Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
Rating
RIYL
SoundgardenMudhoney
Stone Temple Pilots
Screaming Trees
Tracklist
1. Life Wasted2. World Wide Suicide
3. Comatose
4. Severed Hand
5. Marker In The Sand
6. Parachutes
7. Unemployable
8. Big Wave
9. Gone
10. Wasted Reprise
11. Army Reserve
12. Come Back
13. Inside Job
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How can one summarize and analyze a band like Pearl Jam? They’ve been around since 1990 (1988 if you want to count Mother Love Bone); they’ve sold millions of records; and on top of a slew of live albums, they’re releasing their eighth studio album in 2006.
Simply titled Pearl Jam, Vedder, Gossard and crew have returned after a four-year absence following their 2002 release, Riot Act. Although Riot Act displayed the softer side of Pearl Jam, it ran out of gas quickly and wasn’t well received by fans and critics alike. Before that, they released the even less popular Binaural in 2000. Needless to say, fans and critics were wondering if the last band from the grunge explosion had finally run out of fire.
Whether or not Pearl Jam is out to please fans with this latest release, Pearl Jam is still easily the band’s best release in six years, and arguably their best since 1994’s Vitalogy. Opening with “Life Wasted,” Pearl Jam’s energy and execution is vicarious, and the tone of the album is instantaneous: pure, unfiltered rock n’ roll. Filled with melody and solos, “Life Wasted” and the following track, “World Wide Suicide,” are powerhouse rock songs that annihilate any doubt of Pearl Jam’s songwriting skills, and their ability to captivate listeners after 15 years. “World Wide Suicide” is one of Pearl Jam’s best tracks in years, and is absolutely electrifying with a simple, catchy chorus. This is guaranteed to be a fan favorite.
The energy of the first two tracks doesn’t decrease through the next three songs – “Comatose,” “Severed Hand,” and “Marker in the Sand” – once again displaying Pearl Jam’s invigorating, relentless rock n’ roll energy. Although the aforementioned tracks may slow in pace, alter in melody, or vary in mood, one thing remains constant: Pearl Jam’s vigor. The band sounds eager, frantic, and almost desperate, but they never lose their cool; instead, they kick sleepy, imitation rock n’ roll right in the ass, and remind us all what real rock sounds like.
Major tempo changes in Pearl Jam begin with “Parachutes,” a mellow, introspective track that never loses direction or purpose as many softer tracks on rock records do. Starting with “Parachutes,” Pearl Jam shifts its focus towards a noticeably softer tone with the exception of the supercharged “Big Wave,” quite possibly the album’s most intense track. Aside from “Big Wave,” Pearl Jam displays their near perfected mid-tempo rock n’ roll form through “Unemployable” and “Army Reserve,” before ending with the epic “Inside Job.”
Pearl Jam has always been a politically and socially active band, noticeable both through the band’s actions and Vedder’s leftist lyrics. Pearl Jam is no different. Vedder is critical of the Bush administration, war, and American culture, but even if you don’t share Vedder’s political views, his lyrics aren’t transparent enough to really get under your skin. Besides, remove the lyrics, and you still have one of rock’s best vocalists with one of rock’s best bands. The music is enough to carry the album.
While Pearl Jam is a return to the band’s roots of sorts, the band still makes conscious efforts to alter their sound, while simultaneously maintaining their traditional, definitive sound. Hints of psychedelic rock, funk, southern rock, and folk rock appear throughout the album; however, there is no denying this is Pearl Jam’s grungiest album in over a decade.
As grunge’s last surviving band, Pearl Jam continues their creative career, solidifying their position as one of the best rock n’ roll bands in history. Although the music on Pearl Jam isn’t necessarily earth shattering, life altering or genre defining, it is still some of the best traditional rock n’ roll to hit shelves in years. These guys have never sounded as cohesive and united as they do on Pearl Jam.
At times, it seemed like Pearl Jam would fade away and creep towards a slow, unnoticeable death, but this eponymous release not only slowed their decay, but it also put death on an indefinite, extended hiatus. Expect more great things from this historical band for years to come. There might be future releases that are a weaker than others, but as long as they release an album like this every few years, then fans and critics will never grow tired of hearing one of the last, sensational, original rock n’ roll bands.
--Kamran Rouzpay
Comments
Boston, MA
Stereo Typing
Tweet at me, bro
Columbus, Ohio
Recommending: Anberlin, Interpol, Chamberlain, House of Heroes
Minnesota
Agreed. The cover gets an F-.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Dallas, Texas
Tuscaloosa, AL
um yeah, can we say Tarwater's Dwellers on the Threshold? A buddy of mine at work would agree whole-heartedly with me on this one... awful artwork.
Columbus, Ohio
Recommending: Anberlin, Interpol, Chamberlain, House of Heroes
Green Brook, NJ
i've been a huge pearl jam fan since i was old enough to understand what music was, and ten was my first cd, and this is my favorite cd by them since vitalogy. love everything but the cover.
The Great North Woods
Darla Farmer
RIYL:
the Beatles
Tom Waits
Murder By Death
A Whisper in the Noise
the Blood Brothers
Boston, MA
Yes, except that Hellogoodbye's cover was a humorous take on Andy Warhol's cover for The Velvet Underground whereas the Pearl Jam cover just looks retarded.
Stereo Typing
Tweet at me, bro
For The Sound :: My Website
rhode island
Columbus, Ohio
I love Pearl Jam. I can't wait to see them on May 20 in Cleveland.
I will trap you in a song tied to a melody, and I'll keep you there so you can't bother me.
reavolution
Minnesota
Find me EVERYWHERE:
