Pearl Jam Hasn’t Lost Their Edge With Backspacer

Pearl Jam‘s latest album, Backspacer, was released back in September, and it’s clear that Eddie Vedder and the guys still know how to rock. The new album has a refreshingly unique sound in comparison to Pearl Jam’s previous albums, delivering something that has a far more upbeat tone than anything they’ve done before. Sure, there is still a dark component present on the album, the opening track being “Gonna See My Friend,” which is clearly a song about drug addiction, and subsequent tracks touching upon loneliness and growing older, but there is definitely a flip side to that.

While some view the admission of growing older in songs like “Speed of Sound” and “The End” as a red flag for retirement, it feels more like accepting the changing times and simply maturing. The band can still rock, there’s no doubt about that based on the first few tracks of album, and more proof of that is their recent show closing out the Wachovia Spectrum Arena in Philadelphia with a 41 song set list, but they transition into a softer, yet more uptempo sound with Backspacer. Vedder’s solo work on the Into the Wild soundtrack had a very folk-influenced sound, which may have in turn influenced a new direction for Pearl Jam as a whole.

There is far less brooding on this album, in fact, there is very little brooding on this album. Instead, Backspacer is more about being optimistic and hopeful, living and loving. Songs like “Just Breathe” and”The End” are actually somewhat passionate love songs, an interesting departure for the band, while songs like “Supersonic” profess a love for music. Granted, the band slows it down at times, but Backspacer strikes a balance between sentimentality and punk, maintaining its composure as a strong rock album with an ever-present rush of that rock n’ roll energy.

Backspacer was probably the most anticipated new album of the fall, and its great to see that it did not disappoint. It’s fast and brief, but it’s also a tightly knit and well-organized album that manages to have meaning for the band and move them in a refreshing direction. More than anything though, Backspacer is just a great rock record from a great rock band, and it’s encouraging and inspiring to see that nine albums later Pearl Jam hasn’t lost their touch.

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