Grunge is dead, but apparently nobody bothered to tell Pearl Jam.
Seattle’s post-punk, alternative rock scene has come and gone, leaving nary a memento other than its invariable fingerprints set deep into today’s musical landscape.
But while the likes of Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden have all faded away, Pearl Jam remains.
Why?
With its sixth studio album, “Binaural,” Pearl Jam sticks with its recipe that has worked for nearly a decade: take a few Led Zeppelin-inspired guitar riffs, add some metal noise and some thoughtful, soul-baring lyrics with a touch of rage and self-pity. Mix in a penchant for experimentation that, while alienating many listeners, keeps the sound fresh and original, and you get Pearl Jam.
For better or worse, “Binaural” offers no surprises. It’s vintage Pearl Jam.
It starts out fast and heavy with the first three tracks then quickly slows down, as the band shifts into a mellow and self-reflective mood. It’s a logical follow-up to the last studio album, the generally restrained “Yield” (1998), but is even more subdued. There are no tracks like “Evolution” to kick it in the ass halfway through; once it slows down it never picks up.
And that’s OK.
With tracks like “Nothing As It Seems,” “Light Years” and “Of The Girl,” the album sails through the sea of tranquility that often brings out the best of Pearl Jam (see also “Black,” “Yellow Ledbetter,” “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town,” etc.). Sober lyrics of lost loves and past mistakes compliment the pace as well, a refreshing change from previous albums where an attitude of angst dominated.
Perhaps the only complaint worth mention is that a calm, nearly emotionless Eddie Vedder is not always the best Eddie Vedder. There are none of his quintessential screaming-with-the-crazy-eyes-and-a-crease-across-his-brow moments. He almost sounds normal, and rock stars aren’t supposed to be normal.
But Pearl Jam does retain a trace of its craziness, although it never comes close to anything like that in “Vitalogy.” There’s one track, “Soon Forget,” that oddly features only Vedder and a ukulele. There’s also a track that leads with 25 seconds of nothing but noises from a snarling dog. Strange stuff, but it’s nothing that would totally alienate a significant portion of the fan base like tracks in the past.
And in the end, nothing will change.
The real Pearl Jam fans will buy “Binaural” and the people who only liked “Ten” won’t, just as with all the other albums.