Chicago Tribune Backspacer Review
Fifthelement
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Here's another good one 
There should be a stickied thread just to post reviews in :ugeek:
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/ ... pacer.html
September 17, 2009
Album review: Pearl Jam's 'Backspacer'
Rating: 3 stars (out of 4)
Pearl Jam, a band known more for bombast than brevity, plays it tight, short and fast on its ninth studio album, “Backspacer” (Monkeywrench), out Tuesday. The Seattle quintet’s first self-released album after nearly two decades on major labels, it blows through 11 songs in an uncharacteristically terse 37 minutes.
Not that anyone will mistake Pearl Jam for a punk band; the group made its millions by draping a flannel shirt and heavily introspective lyrics over slow-build, lighter-waving rock straight out of the “Quadrophenia” era, back when bands like The Who and Thin Lizzy roamed the hockey rinks of the world. But the taut songwriting on “Backspacer” is a bracing reminder of a less-celebrated facet of Pearl Jam’s personality, the step-on-it-and-go attack of “Spin the Black Circle,” “Lukin” or “Do the Evolution.”
The defining thread in Pearl Jam’s songs since its 1991 debut is less sonic than spiritual; a question of heart rather than sound. They aren’t innovators so much as torch-bearers, five believers who think it’s still the classic-rock era. For their fans, it might just be.
After a trilogy of early grunge landmarks beginning with “Ten,” the quintet followed with three diverse but unfocused albums, as if uncertain about direction. The George W. Bush presidency got the motor revving again, and produced two pretty good, overtly political albums: “Riot Act” (2002) and “Pearl Jam” (2006).
The back story on “Backspacer” was dominated by its delivery method. After leaving the majors, the band decided to self-release it by partnering with Target, a major chain store. The move had some fans howling “sell-out,” though the band’s first eight albums were also overseen by multinational businesses.
As if to demonstrate that corporate tie-ins haven’t made it grow soft, Pearl Jam knocked out “Backspacer” in no-fuss fashion with producer Brendan O’Brien. Only “Amongst the Waves” and “Unthought Unknown” aspire to join Pearl Jam flag-wavers like “Alive” or “Love Boat Captain,” and “Force of Nature” sounds like a stolidly unremarkable outtake from one of their late ‘90s albums.
Otherwise, the album’s tone is set by four quick opening shots to the dome: “Gonna See My Friend,” “Got Some,” “The Fixer” and “Johnny Guitar.” Matt Cameron’s drumming is the main attraction, his fills arriving at just the right instant to keep the songs rocketing along. The guitars are a thick tangle, with solos briefly shaking loose and Vedder singing like he’s cornered.
Music is the drug of choice. In “Friend,” a junkie looks to get clean. In “Fixer,” the dealer is a problem-solver rather than a pariah. Later, “Supersonic” offers a panacea for anyone strung out on life: “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Vedder yelps, which is exactly as profound as he needs to be.
Three slower, more introspective songs give the rockers context. “Speed of Sound” is sung from the perspective of a lonely barfly. “Just Breathe” is an acoustic ballad flavored with subtle strings and intimations of mortality: “Hold me till I die/Meet you on the other side.”
On “The End,” Vedder mines vulnerability by singing tenderly at the top of his range. “I’m here, but not much longer.” The bittersweet tone isn’t tragic. On the contrary, it’s a gentle reminder to enjoy the moment. And when the chorus of a vibrant new rocker such as “The Fixer” or “Supersonic” sweeps in, Pearl Jam does exactly that.
<!-- e --><a href="mailto:greg@gregkot.com">greg@gregkot.com</a><!-- e -->
There should be a stickied thread just to post reviews in :ugeek:
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/ ... pacer.html
September 17, 2009
Album review: Pearl Jam's 'Backspacer'
Rating: 3 stars (out of 4)
Pearl Jam, a band known more for bombast than brevity, plays it tight, short and fast on its ninth studio album, “Backspacer” (Monkeywrench), out Tuesday. The Seattle quintet’s first self-released album after nearly two decades on major labels, it blows through 11 songs in an uncharacteristically terse 37 minutes.
Not that anyone will mistake Pearl Jam for a punk band; the group made its millions by draping a flannel shirt and heavily introspective lyrics over slow-build, lighter-waving rock straight out of the “Quadrophenia” era, back when bands like The Who and Thin Lizzy roamed the hockey rinks of the world. But the taut songwriting on “Backspacer” is a bracing reminder of a less-celebrated facet of Pearl Jam’s personality, the step-on-it-and-go attack of “Spin the Black Circle,” “Lukin” or “Do the Evolution.”
The defining thread in Pearl Jam’s songs since its 1991 debut is less sonic than spiritual; a question of heart rather than sound. They aren’t innovators so much as torch-bearers, five believers who think it’s still the classic-rock era. For their fans, it might just be.
After a trilogy of early grunge landmarks beginning with “Ten,” the quintet followed with three diverse but unfocused albums, as if uncertain about direction. The George W. Bush presidency got the motor revving again, and produced two pretty good, overtly political albums: “Riot Act” (2002) and “Pearl Jam” (2006).
The back story on “Backspacer” was dominated by its delivery method. After leaving the majors, the band decided to self-release it by partnering with Target, a major chain store. The move had some fans howling “sell-out,” though the band’s first eight albums were also overseen by multinational businesses.
As if to demonstrate that corporate tie-ins haven’t made it grow soft, Pearl Jam knocked out “Backspacer” in no-fuss fashion with producer Brendan O’Brien. Only “Amongst the Waves” and “Unthought Unknown” aspire to join Pearl Jam flag-wavers like “Alive” or “Love Boat Captain,” and “Force of Nature” sounds like a stolidly unremarkable outtake from one of their late ‘90s albums.
Otherwise, the album’s tone is set by four quick opening shots to the dome: “Gonna See My Friend,” “Got Some,” “The Fixer” and “Johnny Guitar.” Matt Cameron’s drumming is the main attraction, his fills arriving at just the right instant to keep the songs rocketing along. The guitars are a thick tangle, with solos briefly shaking loose and Vedder singing like he’s cornered.
Music is the drug of choice. In “Friend,” a junkie looks to get clean. In “Fixer,” the dealer is a problem-solver rather than a pariah. Later, “Supersonic” offers a panacea for anyone strung out on life: “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Vedder yelps, which is exactly as profound as he needs to be.
Three slower, more introspective songs give the rockers context. “Speed of Sound” is sung from the perspective of a lonely barfly. “Just Breathe” is an acoustic ballad flavored with subtle strings and intimations of mortality: “Hold me till I die/Meet you on the other side.”
On “The End,” Vedder mines vulnerability by singing tenderly at the top of his range. “I’m here, but not much longer.” The bittersweet tone isn’t tragic. On the contrary, it’s a gentle reminder to enjoy the moment. And when the chorus of a vibrant new rocker such as “The Fixer” or “Supersonic” sweeps in, Pearl Jam does exactly that.
<!-- e --><a href="mailto:greg@gregkot.com">greg@gregkot.com</a><!-- e -->
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