PEARL JAM
Pearl Jam
Monkey Wrench/ SonyBMG
· Former grunge poster boys prove themselves as a world-class rock band.
There is something to be said for keeping it simple and by the way Pearl Jam kick open this album with a basic four-chord blast, it’s clear they are trying to streamline their sound. Apparently, touring with The Supersuckers and Sleater-Kinney wore off on them.
That’s not to say that the band has departed from their trusted formula – they have just struck a balance. Eddie Vedder’s vocals are as operatic as ever and the opulent guitar solos still run wild, but by anchoring the songs with compact muscular riffs, this record plays as one of their least indulgent to date. The album is front loaded with heavy rockers like "Life Wasted," the powerhouse single "World Wide Suicide" and punk-inspired "Comatose."
Pearl Jam only stall twice. "Parachutes" is soppy and the late-album pseudo prom ballad "Come Back" is downright boring, but it’s tough to argue with the frantic pace they set off the top. This time out, Pearl Jam add a dash of optimism to their raging façade and in that respect they have a lot in common with The Tragically Hip – killer players, an enigmatic figurehead and a growing catalogue and fan base. In fact, Adam Kasper, who tracked the Hip’s last album, re-teams with Pearl Jam here. By tightening the screws and ditching some of the bullshit, Vedder and company get back to doing what they do best – rocking as hard as they can.
|
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.