Pearl Jam, Backspacer

Posted on 14th Sep 09 by Paul Murphy | 9

Pearl Jam, Backspacer

They survive as soldiers of fortune from a bygone era of grunge. Some ridicule them, some loved them. They are a band born out of the overdose of glam grunge legend Andy Wood’s death, a band had Mother Love Bone made it, if their singer survived the days prior to their debut album release, would simply never have even been a concept.

Things never work out as planned and thank the almighty deity for it because for this Pearl Jam exist, a band who quickly grasped the concept of success as documented by Cameron Crowe for Rolling Stone during the recording of Vs. (the band’s second album) and yet have always shunned the shining lights of fame, never forcing their beliefs on fans unlike many rock bands of their stature who shove it down their following’s throats.

To Pearl Jam, as a band, a group of musicians, it has always been about the music, the melody and the tune, particularly on their latest album Backspacer. This album like it’s self-titled predecessor bares the band naked, for who they are: musicians with a cause, a cause to make love with an armour, an armour of soul, of feeling, of everything that makes life worth living, the spirit that is left to command what it is to have life and to be experienced.

Pearl Jam are the light for anyone with a doubt in music. A light to those who allow the lows and the roads they lead to swallow them, rather than feeling the air of the blue sky that they can walk on.

Every song, on the album, is typically Pearl Jam, in a way that will see the Seattle grungers revered in the same way that the Rolling Stones are now, as leading heroes of rock music. Although without the same anti-government angst of the previous album, Eddie Vedder and co. deliver eleven songs that still demand a longing for more and not only that but much more, as if anyone could ever tire of hearing music and musicianship of this quality.

For all who know of frontman Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack to the inspirational yet tragic story of Chris McCandless, (from the Sean Penn directed movie, Into the Wild) Pearl Jam embrace the singers’ haunting, upsetting and grip you by the loose strings of your heart unique lyrical and vocal ability, on two tracks that make you, both sorrowful for your own failings as a human being and thankful that you are never alone.

From here into the never Pearl Jam’s latest album will take you from their rock and grunge origins though to the thought provoking, skin crawling truths of life. This is music that will separate you from those who accept the difficulties of the world and those who don’t. Every story sung here can be related to, even by the most rigid of personalities. Pearl Jam are the light for anyone with a doubt in music. A light to those who allow the lows and the roads they lead to swallow them, rather than feeling the air above, the air of blue sky, the air of love and a sky, a sky that they can walk on.

Backspacer will slot straight in by Ten, their debut, as one of Pearl Jam’s greatest albums, and indeed, deservedly, as one of the greatest albums of our lifetime. The most humbling part being that there isn’t even the slightest hint of effort here, this is natural emotion and sentiment from a group of Seattle rockers whose music has the ability to touch more people than the annals of the greatest musicians ever will.

Ladies and Gentlemen we give you Pearl Jam’s new album: Backspacer

Drop-d Rating: Infinity out of 10

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Tags: Andy Wood, Backspacer, Chris McCandless, Eddie Vedder, grunge, Into the Wild, Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam, Sean Penn, Ten Cameron Crowe