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Binaural

Artist: Pearl Jam
Genre: Alternative
Year: 2000
Rating: 6 / 10

Whenever I think of bands that have evolved musically over the years, the first band I think of is invariably U2. Sometimes I find it hard to imagine that the band that turned out rock anthems like "New Year's Day" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" could also produce such stylistically different numbers like "Lemon" and "Numb." Taking all of that into consideration, I must include Pearl Jam in any discussion regarding musical evolution. Six albums into their decade-long careers, the members of Pearl Jam have reached a point with Binaural, the band's latest release, that is quite far removed from the early days of Ten

When discussing Pearl Jam releases, it is sometimes difficult to classify them, since they are such unique projects. Vitalogy and No Code, two of the band's lesser known albums, have completely different feels. One delivers an uneven blend of old-style rockers and more offbeat tracks, while the other delivers a more complete effort, minus the highs but also devoid of the lows. I mention these two albums because Pearl Jam's sixth album, Binaural, seems to be an interesting hybrid of these two. I cannot say that it is better or worse than those two predecessors, only that it is somehow different. Just as I accept that U2 will never return to the days of The Joshue Tree, I also accept that Pearl Jam will never again produce a pair of albums like Ten and Vs. That being said, we Pearl Jam fans take what we can get.

If boxed into a corner, I would probably say that Binaural is most similar musically to No Code. Unfortunately for the band, No Code is one of the group's least commercially successful albums, and it spawned precious few genuine hits. Binaural is sadly destined for the same fate, though this is by no means an indictment of the album. Taken as a whole, Binaural can stand with any of the last three albums. What it lacks, though, are those tracks that make a fan want to reach for the album and play it again and again. "Nothing As It Seems" was the band's first radio release, but, like "Who You Are" (from No Code) before it, it simply does not have the strength to reach mainstream audiences. Nonetheless, it may still be the band's best bet on this particular album.

Frontman Eddie Vedder is on top of his game vocally, and I still have the utmost faith in his songwriting abilities. Some critics, though, have lambasted the album's faster tracks, including the opening "Breakerfall" and "Evacuation," claiming they do not stack up well next to older hits like "rearviewmirror" and "Alive." While that is certainly the case, they still headline this album, assisted ably by numbers such as "Grievance" and "Insignificance." The album does lose considerable steam after the first five tracks, culminating with the bland "Parting Ways." What does this album mean for Pearl Jam? Another new taste for the fans, and continued curiosity for the future.

Submitted 6/13/00.