The Absolute Sound
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- Apr 19, 2013
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- #1
<p>
If the recent deluxe edition of Pearl Jam’s <em>Ten </em>reminded audiences of the band’s prior glory, then <em>Backspacer </em>serves notice that—even two decades into its career— the Seattle quintet remains a vital, vibrant unit. The bandmates curl together like the five fingers of a fist on the album’s first four cuts—a taut, punkish introduction highlighted by “The Fixer.” Here, amidst a flurry of churlish riffs, frontman Eddie Vedder lays out the crew’s latest mission statement: “When something’s gone/I wanna fight to get it back again.”</p>
<p>
While the group’s self-titled 2006 release found it reinvigorated by the ineptitude of the Bush administration, <em>Backspacer</em>’s drive sounds more internal; raging against the dying of the light is a recurring theme (“Get it on/Before it’s gone,” Vedder howls on “Get Some”). These hold- tight sentiments are even echoed in a pair of affecting ballads (“Just Breathe” and “The End”) that sound like holdovers from Vedder’s acoustic excursions on the <em>Into the Wild </em>soundtrack.</p>
<p>
Sonically, the album sports a wide, deep soundstage and a thunderous low end. Vedder’s earth-rich vocals are captured especially well, particularly on the anthemic “Amongst the Waves,” a song that suggests that sometimes it’s better to keep on keeping on than to struggle needlessly against the current.*</p>
[Source: http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/pearl-jam-backspacer/]
If the recent deluxe edition of Pearl Jam’s <em>Ten </em>reminded audiences of the band’s prior glory, then <em>Backspacer </em>serves notice that—even two decades into its career— the Seattle quintet remains a vital, vibrant unit. The bandmates curl together like the five fingers of a fist on the album’s first four cuts—a taut, punkish introduction highlighted by “The Fixer.” Here, amidst a flurry of churlish riffs, frontman Eddie Vedder lays out the crew’s latest mission statement: “When something’s gone/I wanna fight to get it back again.”</p>
<p>
While the group’s self-titled 2006 release found it reinvigorated by the ineptitude of the Bush administration, <em>Backspacer</em>’s drive sounds more internal; raging against the dying of the light is a recurring theme (“Get it on/Before it’s gone,” Vedder howls on “Get Some”). These hold- tight sentiments are even echoed in a pair of affecting ballads (“Just Breathe” and “The End”) that sound like holdovers from Vedder’s acoustic excursions on the <em>Into the Wild </em>soundtrack.</p>
<p>
Sonically, the album sports a wide, deep soundstage and a thunderous low end. Vedder’s earth-rich vocals are captured especially well, particularly on the anthemic “Amongst the Waves,” a song that suggests that sometimes it’s better to keep on keeping on than to struggle needlessly against the current.*</p>
[Source: http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/pearl-jam-backspacer/]