Eddie Vedder is much better off now that grunge is over. Not only are Pearl Jam more respectable for it, but it gives him the freedom to do projects like this, the soundtrack to Sean Penn’s Into the Wild, a romanticized account of real-life (and ultimately doomed) outdoor adventurer Chris McCandless. Vedder takes well to the assignment — the album’s songs all follow the theme of natural wanderlust and disenchantment with society, and for the most part, they’re all sung with the kind of dramatic conviction that can only be summoned by a man playing a character.

While Into the Wild is a solid, cohesive soundtrack CD, it’s not necessarily a great soundtrack for this particular movie. Vedder’s strong, masculine voice (even after having mellowed a fair bit since his early P-Jam days) and heavy-handed observations about striving for personal freedom don’t really jive with Emile Hirsch’s soft-spoken, wide-eyed portrayal of McCandless. It’s like Vedder is writing of his own fantasies of losing himself in the wild, even though the songs are presented as if they’re in the voice of the film’s main character. If that can be ignored (which is pretty easy if you haven’t seen the movie), Into the Wild is a strong concept album and proof that in a post-grunge world, Eddie Vedder is on the right track.