Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam (J)
3/5
By: Matt Tomiak
Odd as such a claim may at first seem, Pearl Jam's time is now. No, seriously... if we're talking in a socio-political sense, if not a musical one. Eddie Vedder and the chaps were never the most cheerful of beat combos, now, were they? And yet they achieved their greatest success at a time in those (comparatively) halcyon days of the mid 90s, a time when America's major concern seemed to be whether Ross and Rachel would finally work things out in 'Friends' and the all-consuming political scandal revolved around the amorous antics of the Commander In Chief.
Now the US finds itself in a scary post 9-11 era of missing WMDs and disastrous foreign military campaigns, not to mention the most divisive administration in recent history. It's a highly apposite backdrop for 'Pearl Jam'- lean, muscular, to the point- the musical equivalent of getting down the gym and shedding an unsightly mid life paunch. 'It's a shame to awake in a world of pain' claims Vedder on the taut, tempestuous lead-off single 'World Wide Suicide', but you get the feeling that America's latter-day collective angst actually serves him pretty well.
As befits that no-nonsense, back-to-basics eponymous moniker, 'Pearl Jam' relies on the polished, straightforward chest-beating rock with which they made their name, although the band's advancing years are evident in the 'Parachutes' and the 'Unemployable', the former contemplative and melodious in the vein of vintage Lennon-McCartney and the latter an affecting tale of blue collar frustration. Those who prefer their rock without the superfluous trimmings will be thoroughly satisfied: anyone after a bit more decoration might feel a little underfed, however.
Artists in this article: Pearl Jam
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