Pearl Jam
GIGATON
MONKEYWRENCH/REPUBLIC
When Pearl Jam released Dance Of The Clairvoyants, the lead track from their 11th studio album Gigaton, the hypnotic slice of electro-pop took both fans and press by surprise. It was an unexpected and experimental sound for a band firmly rooted in anthemic rock. However, anyone left feeling estranged by its alien Talking Heads vibe will be heartened to learn that those ripping riffs remain as prevalent as ever – wonderfully exemplified by second single Superblood Wolfmoon, album opener Who Ever Said and heavy hitters such as Never Destination or Take The Long Way. Pearl Jam aren’t simply plagiarising past glories on their first album in seven years, Gigaton is a record littered with interesting instrumentation and subtle sonic adventures. Quick Escape, possibly the album’s most immediate highlight, is the perfect amalgamation. Traversing the tightrope between PJ past and present, the track features a glorious trademark guitar solo that harks back to 1991’s debut Ten. Typically, Gigaton is not just a full-on rockfest. Pearl Jam take their foot off the gas on six of the 12 tracks here, but the band can be at their most biting when they slow things down. While they now inhabit a secure echelon, where they’ve earned a loyal fanbase with a solid back catalogue, the fire to create and speak out still burns bright. Tracks like Seven O’Clock and closer River Cross, with its haunting sign-off: “The government thrives on discontent and there’s no such thing as clear, proselytising and profitising as our will all but disappears”, highlight how Pearl Jam’s voice remains vehemently relevant, and we should all be grateful for that.