Pearl Jam
Backspacer

Three and a half years after the self-titled album, on September 20, 2009, Pearl Jam released their ninth studio work, "Backspacer".

Although we are talking about a band with an almost twenty-year career, PJ cannot be considered "old", because each of their albums is created with the goal of achieving something new, something that perhaps wasn't achieved with previous albums.

In "Backspacer" there is a clear search for balance and continuity (from my point of view, a shortcoming of previous albums); we do not find songs destined to make history, but neither do we find low-level fillers. Overall, the 36 minutes of the album flow quickly and pleasantly, among successful songs and somewhat anonymous tracks, without provoking symptoms of boredom.

The first part is by far the best, "Gonna see my friend" is the typical PJ opening, sharp and well-functioning, "Got some" is another impactful song, aggressive and convincing, "The fixer" has a catchy riff and a melody that is easily memorable, it's truly a perfect hit!, in "Johnny guitar" the band shows a bit of fatigue, it hits quite well on the first listen but doesn't manage to leave a mark. "Just breathe" is the acoustic moment, with atmospheres that recall "Into the wild" 100%, both in words and music... and the result is the same: the song is truly moving and should definitely be added to the many gems that PJ has given us over all these years.

The second part, however, doesn't quite convince: "Amongst the waves", "Unthought known", "Supersonic", and "Speed of sound" are just decent tracks, where new solutions are also sought (except in "Supersonic," which I found to be too repetitive... too many times!), with sometimes interesting and sometimes less successful results. We then arrive at the tenth track, "Force of nature", the best on the album, very inspired, simple but not trivial, it's the kind of song that never bores you, even after many listens. Finally, we come to "The end", the second acoustic piece, also in the vein of "Into the wild", wonderful and poignant, a trademark of Vedder and company.

Overall, "Backspacer" is not bad at all... but one cannot fail to notice that it lacks a bit of freshness... in several places it seems as if PJ are trapped and can't fully showcase their talent (because they truly have a lot!)... In short, either they are settling, or they are afraid to take risks! And that would be strange... because when they have dared, they have always achieved great things... and there would be no need for examples!

So in waiting for the new "Vitalogy" or the new "VS", let's settle for "Backspacer", which is still a satisfying settlement!

P.s.: okay, there are already 2 reviews on this album...but being my first one, I opted for a record that many will know well, so (I hope!) they will know how to best evaluate what I have written...