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Just Press Play
I've been following these guys since 1990--that's my background. So far I've listened to this album through about a dozen times or so. I must say it is very different from anything they've done before, and by that I mean it's one of those "evolution" (no pun intended) albums that one occasionally hears. What you'll notice from the outset is the raw energy behind it. Not just Vedder's words and vocals, but the rest of the group's creative contributions vie for attention, with the net result that you're "pulled" into each track. Vedder, as usual, pours his soul into the words. Really, each one grabs and holds your emotions, taking you for a ride. When Vedder sings "Feel the sky blanket you / with gems and rhinestones" (Unthought Known) you feel it like a beautiful punch in the gut. The first time you hear it, it takes a few seconds for you to recover. Or "When something's lost / I wanna fight to get it back again" (The Fixer) hits you like a bolt of lightning, and you instantly understand. There are also little details that jump out, like Vedder's voice crack at 1:45 of Gonna See My Friend that's just liquid gold. The album is peppered with prizes like these. Yes, it's more "main stream" (however, PJ and main stream is a contradiction in terms). This is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your expectations or perspective. This is probably attributed to the amount of polishing the work has received (you have to hear it to understand). One thing that's really apparent is that Vedder sounds, writes, and plays considerably less pissed here than in many, many years. While this results in a substantially different feel to the work, it seems to be infectious to the rest of the group, because each track feels looser and freer both thematically and artistically. I've not heard this level of optimism from them until now. It really is refreshing, especially compared to their 2006 self-titled effort. So, I would consider this an entry-level (read: accessible) PJ album; when you feel like a challenge, there's always Binaural (2000). Other thoughts: Vedder's vocals are much improved over the 2006 album. He's tried some new things with his voice that by and large work. You still get the dynamic range, but this time it goes down much, much smoother. It just feels GOOD in your core. Cameron's percussion work both feeds and complements the energy you hear on the album. Ament, Gossard, and McCready all contribute excellent guitar work--you'll hear different, refined versions of themselves here. This album is short, but it doesn't have to be long to accomplish what it does. And that's for each listener to decide. In short: upbeat, optimistic, emotionally-charged, exciting--all that. Not business as usual for them. Enjoy.

Pearl Jam Remains Faitful To Their Style
This was, in my opinion, their best work since Vs. They remain true to their genre while demonstrating they've matured along the way.

Great Album
This is a great album. Eddie Vedders soulful voice wins me over every time.

Backspacer - Just Breathe by Pearl Jam - Eddie Vedder
I bought this CD for the sole reason that it was the only way I could get the song - Just Breathe by Pearl Jam - Eddie Vedder, because it is not available any where else. If it wasn't for that I would not have bought it. It was also because I was DJing a Wedding and the Bride wanted this song included in the Pre-Wedding / Diner Music playlist. If the song had been available as an MP3 download I would have purcased it that way vs buying the entire CD which is not near as cost effective.

Another Great Album
Pearl Jam just keeps pumping the albums out. This is one of my favorite of their more recent albums. Fixer is very catchy but i think my favorite song on the album is unthought known.