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Written by Luke Oram
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Sunday, 01 November 2009 19:26 |
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Perhaps Eddie Vedder says it best, in 'Backspacer’s Danny Clinch–directed ‘making of’ documentary; “As you get older you have a more keen focus on maintaining your vitality, whereas ten years ago you not only took it for granted, but you kinda pissed on it.”
PEARL JAM have waved the grunge banner since the Seattle heyday, and their career has been punctuated by a constant battle with their own vitality, from the unflappable fire of 'Ten and Vs.' through to their excessive outings ('No Code') and their own versions of lethargy. ('Binaural', anyone?) |
'Backspacer' is the barnstorming return to Pearl Jam’s critical fire and frenzy. There’s a new lease of life in Eddie Vedder’s signature growl from the opening bars of ‘Gonna See My Friend’, a high-octane gauntlet that sees Vedder charging from the gates with a new energy in his vocal twists, turns and yelps. ‘Got Some’ is a bit of a well-bred greyhound – gone is any sprawling excess; it’s all tightly-wound hooks augmented by some of Mike McCready’s best guitar work, including a howling wail at the finish line. The album’s first single ‘The Fixer’ is a catchy-as hell, fuzzed out two-step, with Vedder screaming regret yet again, without the bitterness of the last ten years. The twin-attack of guitarists McCready and Stone Gossard come to the fore in the quirky surf-rock broke-down love song ‘Johnny Guitar’.
Vedder’s "Into The Wild"-era persona shows itself with the beautiful aching ballads ‘Just Breathe’ and closer ‘The End’, complete with strings and muted brass. Vedder’s voice, often times reduced to a callous mumble in previous records sounds the best it’s ever been, soaring to heights in the outro of Nature-As-God anthem ‘Amongst The Waves’ and spitting gravel in the bullet-speed punk of ‘Supersonic’. The band’s dropped the heavy weight of political agenda too, which leaves 'Backspacer' as a good old, down-to-earth rock outing that reminds us all of the hell-for-leather Seattle crew we know and love.
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