Pearl Jam
“Backspacer”
Monkeywrench
If I were Eddie Vedder would you like me any better:
10 reasons you don’t like Backspacer
10. Is not “Ten,” you are not fourteen years old.
9. Have never actually enjoyed the music of Pearl Jam, only discussing their continuing relevance or lack thereof with each consecutive release.
8. Haven’t heard it; too busy staring at the cover to Contra. Who is that girl? What is she thinking about?
7. As David Emanuel Duet, former singer of Cat Butt, you feel Pearl Jam stole the fame that is rightfully yours.
6. Existence of Pearl Jam an irritation to your music blog and its set regimen of stories about Kanye West, Grizzly Bear, Girls and the new Thom Yorke project.
5. As writer for anti “mainstream indie” blog you fear that admitting a love of Pearl Jam will ruin credibility.
4. Prefer Stone Temple Pilot’s general oeuvre.
3. Don’t like the music that much.
2. Too many of their fast rockers/slow ballads, not enough of their slow ballads/fast rockers. They need to grow up and stop living in the past/get that old energy back and stop being such pussies.
1. Target? Really? Really?
That said, is it good? Its pretty good. If you haven’t heard it and made up your mind by now you probably don’t care that much, but whatever. Backspacer isn’t a career-defining masterpiece, and in some ways that’s its own disappointment; the boys in PJ seem to be energized and actually giving a shit about whether people give a shit about them again so it’d be great if they made something spectacular. They didn’t, but it’s solid; there are a few clunkers but just as many songs that grow with repeated listens. “The Fixer” is probably their best single of the ‘00s and they still sound like themselves. If you never liked them, you won’t miraculously change your mind, but if you have, you’ll find stuff to enjoy here. Plus, this one doesn’t have an avocado on the cover.
