New Release Day started early this week with Pearl Jam's new record being released on Sunday rather than the traditional Tuesday. There are fewer buying options for those seeking the new record but it's not difficult to find. The album is available through the band's web site. As for retail, your options are independent music stores and Target. Because Huntsville has few indie choices, I went to my wife's favorite place on earth and got it at Target. It's also available digitally through the normal means, and no, I don't mean file sharing.
Pearl Jam
Backspacer
Backspacer is an album for the multitasker with a short attention span. The band intentionally scaled the record back, turning in a brief record of 11 tracks and 36 minutes. Pearl Jam is now old enough to wear the classic rock clothes they've always had in their closet and this kind of approach fits them well. These guys love bands like Buzzcocks and The Ramones, punk bands who gave you three chords and the truth. While Pearl Jam has made great music by stretching, this leaner approach also suits them.
What caught me on my first few listens to the disc is that in addition to about 15-20 minutes, Backspacer is also missing some of the angst of past records. Maybe it's a change in the weather. Maybe it's a change in administrations. The venom of past records is downplayed and we're often left instead with an optimistic feistiness. Eddie Vedder isn't ready for a rocking chair and he's not declaring "mission accomplished," but this record feels less angry.
Richard Hawley
Truelove's Gutter
I might have chosen to write about this album even if I didn't like Hawley because I love the title of it. I admire songwriters (and writers of any stripe) who can take words that don't belong together and use them to create an image or an idea. Truelove's Gutter is a great combination of words from an artist who makes brilliant, understated, meditative records that belong in another time and place. Once again, I tip my cap to the great Aaron "Duke" McMullan for introducing me to the wonders of Richard Hawley. American listeners probably have no idea who Hawley is. They should rectify that with all due haste.
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
Some might be interested to know that reportedly buying the PJ album at indie stores gets you a book-style package with the book bound inside, rather than the cardboard LP-style sleeve that Target sells. Kind of annoying, if you ask me, a nose-thumbing to those of us who bought it at Target over the weekend.
2 - Josh Hathaway
Yeah, I hate to hear that even though I'm good with indie support.
3 - MM
The Target release of the PJ album comes with 2 concert downloads. The indie verion is not suppose to have that. So it is pick your poison between downloads or cooler package. I went with extra music.
Josh, I agree with you that Backspacer seems less angry. Initial impressions of the album are good, but I haven't listened to it enough to know if happy Eddie is a good thing. We'll have to see how it holds up over time