Do I really need to introduce Pearl Jam? If you do not know who these guys are, this is not the blog for you as they are now like Led Zeppelin a band that is one of the fundamental artists of the era and genre they forged. This album comes closer to what you expect from them than some of their more recent albums that found the band taking more chances. Granted if you think of these guys as a grunge band, then you might find this album lacking in grit, however, this is their 12th album, and only their first two albums should really be considered jazz, as the band has ventured off into varied forms of rock and Americana since then in the 10 albums that followed these guys have a pretty basic formula to follow to be successful and please their fan base. Eddie sings and the rest of the band supports him allowing Vedder to do what he does.
The second song picks up the pace in a way that is not "State of Love and Trust" but it still works. Then comes their more Neil Young-influenced ballad with the casual folkish strum of "Wreckage". Vedder's voice has held up well. If this sort of thing still had a place on the radio, this song would fit the format. But rock radio has hit a place of stagnation and has not progressed past 'Better Man". They have given themselves enough room to grow that allows a song like the title track to be different enough, yet as a song holds up against the songs like "Jeremy" they have built their career upon. Amazingly, they can still be consistent as artists 12 albums later and still write songs this good. Mike McCready is ripping out plenty of guitar solos on this album.
"Won't Tell" might have more of a pop sensibility, but it's really well written and Vedder vocal melodies work their magic. The more balladic musing that is this album's "Yellow Ledbetter" is "Upper Hand" though it's less Jimi Hendrix influenced. "Waiting For Stevie" rocks out a little more with Mike continuing to rip it, and Matt Cameron continuing to show why he is one of the best rock drummers in the business. "Running" is a more energetic return to the "Vs." era. The almost country strum of "Something Special" is just a little more upbeat than what I prefer.
You can't argue that Bruce Springsteen has not been an influence on these guys as it permeates "Got to Give". It has echoes of 90s rock anthems but is more of a blue-collar rocker. The last song is almost more of a ballad, as it seems to muse upon mortality and the human condition. There is also a slight country unpining to this which is the first time this has crept into what they do. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it sits with me, it holds up better against their classic works than some of the post-Vitalogy releases.
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