Friday, Sep. 04, 2009
Backspacer
On sale Sept. 22
Their days as a phenomenon are long past, but Pearl Jam have settled comfortably into their role as rock's almost-mature pros. The songs here are built on hooks, covered with guitar fuzz, and then trimmed back a bit so the melody abides. Nothing revolutionary, but Backspacer provides an adrenaline jolt that shouldn't be underestimated either.