Pearl Jam
Lightning Bolt

Many have wondered what the PJ borrowed in this new "Lightning Bolt," well, the question that comes naturally to me instead is: what's left in this album of the Pearl Jam of "Ten," "Vs." or "Vitalogy"???

The answer is simple: not much
Failed experiment: not entirely.
The album is deliberately designed to reconcile the old fans who have followed them since the era of their masterpiece "Ten" and the new fans, those from the late '90s - early 2000s.

"Lightning Bolt" can be divided into three main parts:
1.GRUNGE: in the first songs of the album, the Seattle band indeed recaptures the energy and charisma typical of their early records, pleasing longtime fans.
2.ROCK BALLADS: in the second part of the album the PJ slow down the pace and start with a series of rock ballads (including the famous "Sirens"), neither the new fans nor the old ones will be disappointed.
3.EXPERIMENTAL: indeed, in "Lightning Bolt" there is also room for experimentation in songs like "Sleeping By Myself" which seems almost taken from Eddie Vedder's beautiful solo album "Ukulele Songs".

The truth is that the biggest "flaw" of this album is the arrangement of the tracks; in fact, the Seattle quintet decides to put the most energetic and Grunge-style songs in the first part of the album and to leave the second part to the rock ballads (mind you of excellent quality, but that really weigh down the flow of the album).
The quality of Pearl Jam's music remains of a very high level, undoubtedly, but to listen to the best of the band you will once again have to rummage through their past.