Binaural - Pearl Jam (CD 2000)

More Pearl Jam you say? What s that, you can t take any more? You wish I d give you a break and stop reviewing the band to death? Well, y all just better friggin deal with it! Because I ve got a few more to go yet, starting with this little slice of equal amounts of joy and pain, the band s inconsistent 2000 effort, Binaural. (I really am running low on intro ideas for these PJ reviews, so much that I ve started yelling and acting like a maniac. Probably losing a few trustees in the process.)

This was actually the last Pearl Jam album I bought, and I was rather disappointed because I was quite proud of the fact that I d purchased them all in chronological order. The reason for that was, I had read some reviews on this one and people seemed to be lukewarm about it, suggesting that it was the one album by the band that was not an essential purchase. So I strayed away from it for a bit. (Okay, okay, you ve squeezed it out of me. The shop that I bought the album from didn t do it at a discount price until after I had bought Riot Act. As soon as I saw it, I snapped it up. There, are you happy now?)

In fact, the reviews I had read were indeed right. It is a lukewarm album, and the band certainly do not seem to be at their best in it. It can t be because of this being their first album with new drummer formerly of Soundgarden - Matt Cameron. Because that guy is schipulkna , and a benefit to any band. He slams those drums like there s no tomorrow, and is probably the best drummer the band could have imagined getting to replace Jack Irons. Anyway, like I was saying, Pearl Jam seem to be totally half-hearted throughout this album. There are a good few excellent songs on it, but also a more than a couple of stinkers. It has a more atmospheric and introspective feel to it than the likes of Yield and Vs, and this results in a lot of moody, slower songs. There are some harder rocking tunes, but the large majority of these are weaker than the quality of those that the band normally produces. And don t even get me started on the production on this one. It may be even worse than on the band s 1991 debut Ten. (Oh, incidentally, if you read my review of Ten, then you would have heard me utter that this was the band s worst album. I have since changed that opinion, and now believe that this one is slightly better than Ten. Only slightly though.)

Pearl Jam (2000) are Eddie Vedder (vocals, guitar), Mike McCready (guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass) and Matt Cameron (drums).

Track Listing

1. Breakerfall (Vedder)
2. God s Dice (Ament)
3. Evacuation (Cameron)
4. Light Years (Vedder/McCready/Gossard)i>
5. Nothing As It Seems (Ament)
6. Thin Air (Gossard)
7. Insignificance (Vedder)
8. Of The Girl (Gossard)
9. Grievance (Vedder)
10.Rival (Gossard)
11.Sleight Of Hand (Ament)
12.Soon Forget (Vedder)
13.Parting Ways (Vedder)

Binaural starts off with three generic rockers, those weaker kind that I was talking about earlier. Breakerfall is probably the strongest of the three, but that s not saying much in its favour. It is energetic enough of course, has a decent ascending chord progression in the chorus, and a pretty cool riff. There are some catchy bass hooks played from time to time as well. The squealing solo in the last chorus is barely audible thanks to the lousy production, but if it is heard then it is fairly impressive. God s Dice is really simple, featuring rapid pounding drum bursts, and punching guitar chords in the verses. The choruses are slightly weak and bland. In fact, after a few listens, this simple pacey number holds little interest for me. Evacuation is Cameron s only song-writing credit on the album. Judging by his song-writing talent, I d say they could have picked something better to stick on here from him. The song has short, sharp bursts of two guitar chords for a chorus, and simple repetition of the title. The drums would have to be fairly interesting if you think about it, they stop and start and really punctuate the song throughout. But again it is a pretty boring track.

Time to take leave of all formal functions
Time to plant seeds of a reconstruction
No time this time to feign reluctance

Light Years is a little better, containing a thunderous, resonating drum pound throughout. A mid-tempo track, taking the mood of the album to where it will stay for the majority, mellow and calming. Some rumbling bass and slow, deliberate guitar chords push the lingering chorus along. Nothing As It Seems sees the band going all Pink Floyd on us, with moaning, wailing guitar notes prevalent throughout the song. This one is a really caressing, almost sexy number. But it is very atmospheric and dirge slow. Sparse rumbles of bass and spacey guitar textures dominate in the verses, and more hazy guitar joins when the chorus is reached. There is a lazy, heavenly solo early on in the track, and later another one that is stopped and started by more punishing guitar chords. Thin Air is one of the excellent songs on here, and starts a trend of great tracks going. As it is, it is a pretty simple one. A nice gentle soothing bass line and lightly strummed acoustic guitars coupled with a bouncy drumbeat help the song plod along, again at a fairly medium pace. It is a beautiful song when more spooky guitar sounds fleet in later on, Vedder sounds excellent here. The bridge is more upbeat than the rest of the song, but still manages to retain the melancholy feel.

Hesitate when I feel I may do harm to her
Wash it off cause this feeling we can share
And I know she s reached my heart in thin air

Insignificance is a harder rocking number, pounding along at a reasonable pace with big meaty guitar chords and driving bass. The choruses really feel like a fast moving train, crushing everything in their path. The bass booms out here, I m sure if the production was better then you would be able to hear it much more clearly. The build-up to the choruses is one of my favourite parts. While building up the tension before the release of the actual choruses, the punching, powerful guitar chord that come firing down are very head-banging and could really help me release some pent-up anger. The solo is again largely inaudible, but the weird guitar noises that help build up to it are quite nifty again. By the time the song has finished it is basically a big fireball of noise.

All in all it s no-one s fault, excuses turn to carbon walls
Blame it all on chemical intercourse
The swallowed seeds of arrogance breeding in the thoughts
Of ten thousand fools that fight irrelevance

Of The Girl is a really hazy, and awfully sweet song, particularly in the verse where the guitars create a light, fluffy sound, like small sprinkles of fairy dust as the dark bass and plodding drums thunder along in the background. The choruses are a bit different, long dragging guitar chords leave a haze of sound that washes over the listener. This one is really good actually. I like the atmosphere it creates, and the wailing guitars that come and go intermittently are, admittedly, sexy. Grievance is more of a fun song, very harsh and aggressive with great crunching guitar chords in the build-up to a slightly more mellow chorus. The riff is pretty tasty as well, but on the whole the song doesn t do anything for me. Rival is outstanding, starting with the growl of a dog! But from there the playful drum beat kicks into gear, and the three-chord riff joins later. This song has a real swagger about it, and I particularly love the soloing guitars which enter frequently, more so towards the end. They sound better when combined with the scratchy, powerful riffing. This song also has a distinctly bluesy feel about it, believe it or not (this is due to the solos probably, and the plonking piano that can be heard in the background from time to time).

Your disciples are riddled with metaphors, well hung
Better pony up and bring both your barrels full, not one

Of the last three tracks, only one is really interesting enough to grab me. Sleight Of Hand is another slow, atmospheric one. The bass really drones along, with some metallic sounding drums, although the choruses are a wash of disorienting guitar noise, and don t carry much of a tune unfortunately. Soon Forget is the more interesting one, and one of the highlights of the album. Simply Eddie and a ukulele (?), this one has a real cheesy feel to it, but is a good, fun little romp to listen to. Has a beautiful acoustic punch to it, and the sound of the instrument is so clean and superb (this is one where the production couldn t get any better). Parting Ways kind of passes me by usually. Another dark, rumbling beast of a song, the bass is dominant again in creating a foreboding atmosphere. Dreamy guitar noises try to make the song less intimidating, but on the whole it is fairly uninteresting, and as I said before, doesn t really grab me.

Behind her eyes there s curtains
And they ve been closed to hide the flames
She knows their future s burning
But she can smile just the same

Binaural is Pearl Jam s second worst album for a number of reasons. Mainly just due to a few weaker tracks that never really seem to get out of the starter s blocks, and are too atmospheric and dark for their own good. Some tracks also try to rock a bit too hard. Also, the production is not as crisp or clear as I would have liked, and sometimes it is hard to pick out instruments (or solos). However, the good tracks are very good, and give the album a large boost. So basically, I would still advise any Pearl Jam fan to give this one a shot (especially if you liked some of the slower stuff on No Code). If you aren t a fan of the band I d say leave this one alone just now, and try some of the better albums first (mainly Vs, Yield and Riot Act).

Excellent: Thin Air, Rival
Good: Breakerfall, Light Years, Nothing As It Seems, Insignificance, Of The Girl, Soon Forget
Average: God s Dice, Evacuation, Grievance, Parting Ways
Weak: Sleight Of Hand

Final Rating: 15/20