A Bottle Of PJ, Please

Here we have it. The new Pearl Jam album, one of the most beloved bands of the past decade, the band which always carried around some kind of 60s nostalgia. Three years distance from its predecessor, Pearl Jam, Backspacer brings in the house, at least according to one of band's members, guitarist Mike McCready, new-wave and pop elements. It's also the first time after a long period when the band had rehearsed in studio prior recording.

And the beginning of the album seems to fit McCready's description. It is full of strong guitar riffs (not that it would be something unusual for Pearl Jam), and, more important, lyrics seem to have a more positive approach. "Yeah, right", you'll say. Well, then, what do you think about Gonna See My Friend? A drug song, actually a song about a friend who was on drugs but he isn't anymore – sounds complicated, isn't that so? Anyway, there's hope everywhere, you got the idea. However, there's no actual hope to hear Vedder's voice very well, as the instrumentals are the ones which stand out. At least for this track and for the following three (Got Some, The Fixer and Johnny Guitar).

The tempo slows down as we reach the fifth song, called (huh, what a coincidence) Just Breathe – a perfect piece of folk. After that energetic beginning, this seems somehow strange, but okay, especially if you belong to those people who love this kind of songs. Next tracks are a bit more energetic, without returning to the rocket-launch impression given by the four tracks mentioned above (excepting Supersonic which is another straight-in-your-face-baby type of song). And after all of these little ups and downs, the album ends with (surprise) The End, which reminded me somehow of Bruce Springsteen because of its nostalgic instrumental. Not to mention that Vedder's voice also has a springsteen-esque air about it.

The overall impression? Pearl Jam hasn't actually brought important changes in its sound on this one. That might be a good thing, if you're a hardcore fan – this album will be like a bottle of good old wine for you. But if you are looking for innovative stuff, maybe you should try something else.

*photo courtesy of Pearl Jam official site.