Pearl Jam's Backspacer

It seems like every year we get a comeback album from a band we thought were done years ago, but few are a memorable as Pearl Jam's 2006 self-titled album. PJ had fallen so far away from the grand stadium rock we fondly remember from the early 90's that it was a blast to hear them rip through "World Wide Suicide" and "Life Wasted". It made us forget that Riot Act ever happened.

Now is the tough part - where do they go from here? They've had their throwback, but can they sustain this energy? The first three tracks from there latest, Backspacer, answer this by pounding harder and faster than anything in the PJ catalog (except maybe Vs.). All guitar hooks and no texture with Eddie Vedder yelling like he's possessed. This is the way it should be.

When I first read that this album only runs a brisk 37 minutes, I didn't think PJ would take the time to make some risks. Even though Eddie got some slow folksy tunes on record with his Into The Wild soundtrack, I didn't think he give in to those urges here. Wrong and wrong: "Just Breathe" is the most surprising track they've ever attempted. This folk ballad could be sung by Dylan or Springsteen, but they probably wouldn't nail it like Eddie does.

The second half of the record moves more toward mid-tempo. "Speed Of Sound" (no relation to the Coldplay hit) builds a beautiful bridge off keyboards and pianos, two things I never expected on a PJ record. "Force Of Nature" does more of a Rolling Stones boogie without overdoing it and the guitar solos are solid as always.

If you are already a Pearl Jam fan, you'll be happy to know that their self-titled record wasn't a fluke, it was a rebirth. Pearl Jam was a more memorable record, but this one shows that PJ has the versatility, passion, and drive to give us at least another decade of great records like this one. I don't think we could ask for much more.