We won't tease you with rumors of a name and tracklisting, but there is DEFINITELY a new Pearl Jam album out there. Their biographer, Jonathan Cohen, has heard it. According to Spin Magazine, they debuted the album at Troubadour in West Hollywood earlier today.
Specific details such as song titles and lyrics are being kept under wraps for now, but SPIN can confidently report that the album offers a little bit of everything for the longtime Pearl Jam fan. “No hyperbole — I think this is our best work,” enthused Vedder, who later poured tequila shots for the assembled audience. “I couldn’t be prouder of us as a band,” added Ament, who briefly got emotional while describing the experience of making the album.We even get a little idea of what we can expect to hear.
The LP features several intense rockers that showcase the ever-powerful drumming of Matt Cameron and the panache of guitarist Mike McCready, whose solos are more prominent here than on 2020’s Gigaton. One has a chorus particularly tailor-made for chanting and fist-pumping.Other than Rob Skinner (Pearl Jam's Fan Club Kingpin) posting a vague post about today's date, we still don't know when to expect the album, but it's going to break our brains if we don't hear something this week!
A couple songs nod to the chiming, acoustic-flavored sound of the late Tom Petty, while another has the loping, off-kilter feel of past Pearl Jam tunes such as “Parachutes” and “All Those Yesterdays.” Thematically, Vedder is writing about human connection (or lack thereof), aging, parenting and the state of the world. “We’re still looking for ways to communicate,” he said.
