ARTIST: Pearl Jam
ALBUM: Lightning Bolt
LABEL: Monkeywrench, Inc.
RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2013
Bringin’ the Grunge
Written by Silas Valentino
Eddie Vedder has two daughters. Excluding bassist Jeff Ament, all the members of Pearl Jam have children. The classic creators of the “Seattle Sound” still sound tough and are full of fascinating things to say— it’s just that their version of the f-word is now fatherhood.
Lightning Bolt is Pearl Jam’s 10th record and it’s 12 songs of robust dad rock. Pearl Jam worked with their longtime producer Brendon O’Brien who has a knack for making the music sound bulky but well produced. Lightning Bolt strikes with thunderous rockers (“Getaway” and “Mind Your Manors”) and, ever since 1993’s smash “Daughter,” Pearl Jam have never shied away from the ballads (“Sirens” and “Future Days”). Clocking in at 48 minutes, Lightning Bolt will serve both Pearl Jam and their fans well. A band that truly comes alive on stage, Pearl Jam will be able to nit-pick the golden nuggets of this record and ignite them while playing live and then leave behind the clunkers.
Pearl Jam’s philosophy on track listing has stayed pretty much consistent since their debut back in 1991— they’re all about starting with a one-two punch. Lightning Bolt opens with “Getaway,” an album standout, and then propels the momentum forward with lead single “Mind Your Manners.” The members of Pearl Jam are getting older and with that (besides Eddie Vedder’s receding hairline) comes wisdom. “Getaway” is lyrically rich filled with versus about achieving mature contentment. “And if you want to have to pray, it’s all right/ We all be thinking with our different brain get this off my plate/ It’s all right, I got my own way to believe, it’s okay,” howls Vedder over a riff-heavy instrumentation. Matt Cameron’s drumming bounces and pounds— recalling a little surf rock vibe.
The album’s first three tracks are upbeat and can blare loud enough to wake any sleeping infant but the record catches its breath on “Sirens.” A power ballad heavy on the voltage, “Sirens” is one of the more easily accessible songs on the album, but it has been sprinkled with Pink Floyd-esk fillers and breaks— and this was just what lead guitarist Mike McCready was aiming for. “I was at Roger Waters concert and was completely blown away by ‘The Wall,’” said McCready in an interview with Billboard. “I wanted to write something that would have a Pink Floyd type feel. We recorded a demo of it [but Vedder] didn’t put the lyrics on it until the second time we went back in…I heard them the night that he put them on there and they just brought me to tears. This is Ed at his best in my mind.”
The Beatles had Rubber Soul and Revolver, two records that live as siblings, and Lightning Bolt and 2011’s Backspacer are Pearl Jam’s version. Title track “Lightning Bolt” would have fit well on Backspacer as well as “My Father’s Son.” Pearl Jam find themselves playing with a little sound experimentation on “Pendulum” with its fading guitar and downer atmosphere. If you listen to this record on Spotify, track “Sleeping with Myself” may trick you into thinking you’re about to hear a dumb ad for it sounds like an Albertson’s commercial. It’s poppy, catchy and has Vedder singing about sleeping alone at night.
Wilco will have to step aside and prepare for an influx in dad rock. This past year showed many big name-artists adapting with new levels of maturity and it’s ubiquitous in all forms of music. Jay Z and Eminem’s last two records both dealt with what happens when an artist grows up and progresses with their music. Pearl Jam are no different but they can still rock and (depending on how tired they are from changing diapers) roll.