Our Line: It’s Pearl Jam, do we really have to explain?
The Good:
“I Am Mine” – There seems to be more going on that what is on the surface and that is why we loved Pearl Jam in the beginning. Vedder has an uncanny way of making things understood regardless if you knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Love Boat Captain” – This is the Vedder we have come to love. Slow, mellow and full of obtuse observations that strike you in a way you never thought about before.
The Marginal:
“You Are” – An awesome riff is wasted by Vedder’s lack of interest.
“Can’t Keep” – Is it me or does Eddie Vedder sound bored?
“Save You” – The guitars roar and the middle is trying to keep pace as usual, but Vedder sounds like he’s lost the ability to hold a note for longer than a beat.
“Thinking My Way” – It’s not a mess, but Vedder sounds like he is singing with cotton in his mouth.
The Ugly:
“Bushleaguer” – Not that I disagree with the thoughts, but listening to Vedder drown on through a spoken verse is boring.
Frankly: Eddie Vedder sounds bored being Eddie Vedder. He almost sounds like a caricature of his once amazing self. Pearl Jam was once the kings of the hill. The problem is they still seem to be playing it safe, as they have since Vitalogy. Instead Pearl Jam should be playing like a hurt fighter who is on the ropes fighting for their lives. The earnest and desire seem to have fallen on now-millionaires who don’t have the fervor they did when life wasn’t so easy. Pearl Jam is Eddie Vedder’s boat to sink or sail and it’s a tug of war throughout.
+ rae gun
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