Pearl Jam: Backspacer
Pearl Jam: Backspacer
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By Richard James. |  |
Friday, 18, Sep 2009 10:07
Universal, out September 20th.
In a nutshell...
Quick, clean and not particularly harmless.
What's it all about?
As a follow-up to a self-titled offering in 2006, which signalled the end of a four-year hiatus after Riot Police in 2002, Pearl Jam are back with perhaps their shortest album ever. It's somewhat of a showcase for the band, who've dealt with Rock Band to release it for gamers as well as sorting out a few online promotions for buyers who can access concerts and demos. A new launch pad, anyone?
Who's it by?
The band's unchanged since 1998, when Matt Cameron of Soundgarden joined the ranks as the drummer. Pearl Jam probably haven't had all the credit they've deserved over the years, particularly given they've been so steady since 1990 when themselves and their Seattle Sound chums (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Presidents of the USA... Sir Mix-A-Lot... )
Still, they've tried their hardest to play themselves down in a typical anti-fame jaunt or two, refusing to make music videos and the like. Owing to this, Pearl Jam's one of those bands a lot of people relish when they finally hear them, as they fly under the radar of many.
As an example...
"I'll say your prayers, I'll take your side/I'll find us a way to make light/I'll dig your grave, we'll dance and sing/What's saved could be one last lifetime." - The Fixer
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
The return of Pearl Jam to the big stage? Don't rule it out.
What the others say
"Backspacer, Pearl Jam's ninth album, backspaces to that boyish spirit, with the shortest, tightest, punkiest tunes they've ever banged out." - Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone
"The album grows same-y, but tracks like the surfing-as-life-metaphor anthem Amongst the Waves do indeed make something old feel, if not new, good again." - Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly
So is it any good?
Remember when Green Day released Warning and everyone loved it because of the title track and its use in Road Trip, only to realise that the rest of the album was practically the same kinda songs but because they liked Warning, it was bearable?
Yeah, Backspacer is Pearl Jam's version. While it's not quite as annoying as The Band That Never Ages' 2000 release, y it's still pretty frustrating.
The first four songs are a bit of a riot, most notably The Fixer, the well-publicised offering that's been saturating radio waves over the UK for the last few weeks. Rightly so. Still, it all starts to wind down prematurely after Just Breathe.
It almost sounds like a CBeebies bedtime story song crossed with one of the softer, more introspective/pretentious songs from Shinedown or Nickelback, which isn't the nicest thing to say. It just doesn't fit their approach, though. It even builds up to a point where you think there's definitely going to be some guitar, but oh no, wait... it's the end of the song.
After that, it ebbs and flows; cleaved into two styles, if anything. You either get pure stadium songs which you can throw yourself into or the kind of quiet and calm songs you'd expect in a first encore at a gig, right before everyone in the audience begs them to come back out and do a "proper" song to end on a better note.
As a result, Backspacer all just kinda hangs together. It's not particularly awful to listen to, it just doesn't titillate throughout as it really should. While the likes of The End and Just Breathe will appeal to many people who are in the mood for that sound, most people don't invest in a Pearl Jam CD for it and may be understandably let down. Especially for an album that's so short, it's a bit of a slap in the face that so much disc space is going spare and there's so much heavier rock yet to be done.
A few of the 11 tracks exhibit hope for those too scared to buy the full thing. The Fixer has rightfully been chosen as the single and Amongst the Waves will likely be a follow-up should the album do well enough, which of course it will.
Supersonic also has a formidable riff after about a minute and a half; it's absolutely brilliant. It's one of the few moments where, for 20 seconds, you sit back and bask in pure grunge. Again, it's all over too quickly, but it reminds you of the glory days.
In conclusion, three predictable words to sum up the offering: it's not Ten. It was never going to be. Then again, not even the best bands nowadays on their top form could rival that album. Maybe it's a bit of a crass comparison but whatever, the glory days are long behind Pearl Jam.
They can still string together a decent enough album, though - even if it's over in a flash. Eddie Vedder's vocals are still strong and the other band members are reliable enough. It could've done with a little more ingenuity, either way.
You won't be angry, just disappointed.
6.5/10
Matt Gardner