The raucous punk-influenced ‘Gonna See My Friend’, which opens Pearl Jam’s ninth studio album profoundly goes against everything you’d reasonably expect from a stadium band well into their forties. It’s a romp of distortion and snarling vocals, a hell of a way to start an album that marks a startling return to form – and relevance – for the Seattle band.
The first four tracks, including the brilliant first single ‘The Fixer’, are all-out riff-driven rock in a similar mould to the opener, before a succession of mellower tracks – starting with the touchingly intimate acoustic number ‘Just Breathe’ – serve as a timely reminder of Vedder’s towering songwriting credentials and recall the glory days of Pearl Jam's hugely influential debut.
The variety of approaches on show in Backspacer: from the snarling opening forays, to stadium-ready anthems, via wrenching heartfelt ballads, indicates a band brimming with creativity and ideas, a band looking to increase its audience instead of milking its existing fanbase. It’s a strong enough collection of songs from the former grunge favourites to ensure they’ll do just that.
