Pearl Jam
Backspacer
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Label: Monkeywrench Records (self-released)
If popularity is the bane of Pearl Jam's existence, the band must finally be happy. 2009, after all, finds the Seattle rockers toiling in relative anonymity. Having not had a radio megahit since 1998's "Last Kiss," the band often mislabeled as grunge has become a flannel-decorated afterthought, the group's formerly massive following reduced to its devout, though still impressive, core - which probably suits Eddie Vedder and company just fine. Despite the band's early reputation -- thanks, in part, to Kurt Cobain's infamous dismissal of the group -- as a mediocre also-ran who merely rode the wave of the '90s alternative rock explosion without an ounce of ingenuity, Pearl Jam has treated commercial appeal like a burdensome, uninvited house guest. The band has vehemently rejected the accepted practice of making music videos, boycotted Ticketmaster in an ultimately futile standoff, refused to acknowledge the media, appease record labels or anything else that would suggest the band has the slightest interest in ingratiating themselves to others to regain mass appeal (The band does have a distributing deal with Target for its latest release, but, hell, you've got to sell records somewhere). It should come as no surprise, then, that Backspacer does little to appeal to the musical sensibilities of this decade's masses. Unfortunately, only about half of this hit-and-miss record will appeal to many other peoples' sensibilities, either.
Perhaps Backspacer's most glaring weakness is that listeners will inevitably feel like they've heard these songs before- if not from Pearl Jam, then from countless other classic rock artists who relied heavily on a formula of frenetic drum beats, wailing vocals and the occasional screaming electric guitar solo for good measure. The first four tracks - "Gonna See My Friend," "Got Some," "The Fixer" and "Johnny Guitar" - follow this predictable pattern without deviation, making for an ominous start, while other songs - "Supersonic" and "Force of Nature" - sound like generic outtakes from a band merely trying to emulate its influences or blend into the pack without trying to distinguish itself in any progressive way. If Pearl Jam was indeed "too timely" in the '90s, the band veers in the opposite direction with Backspacer, delivering an album that sounds largely like it was recycled from the archaic era of guitar-driven, ballad-heavy and grimy 1970s arena-friendly classic rock.
Still, Backspacer isn't without its shining moments, such as the tender, soulful and stripped-down "Just Breathe," which suits Vedder's voice perfectly and offers the kind of new musical direction and intriguing vocal nuances that listeners will wish the band embraced more often. The excessive melodrama that plagued some of the group's earlier material is noticeably absent; efforts like "Amongst the Waves" and "Unthought Known" prove the group is still capable of creating compelling and catchy tracks, while the album's mostly uplifting lyrics offer a fresh, welcome perspective ("I'm a lucky man/ To count on both hands/ The one I love," Vedder sings on "Just Breathe"). The singer lets his seemingly impenetrable guard down on album closer and standout track "The End," allowing his legendary disgruntled worldview to melt into the reflective wisdom that you'd expect from the elder statesman that Vedder should be at this point in his career. Though the song is apparently about a relationship and the tests of time, one can't help but think the opening lyrics have a double meaning given Pearl Jam's frequent self-depreciating behavior over the past decade: "Where are all those dreams we shared/ Those many years ago?"
At the very least, Pearl Jam must be recognized as a band of survivors who have outlasted - and, in some cases, outlived - its grunge-era contemporaries. Free from the restraints of popular demand and the shackles of an interfering record label, Pearl Jam is now able to explore, and exploit, any musical direction it wishes to take, without corporate hassle or unfair expectations. Perhaps this new found freedom is part of the reason Backspacer is mostly an optimistic, up-tempo album. It's just unfortunate that the band didn't choose to go in a more dynamic and original direction.
by Marcus David
