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100

Los Angeles Times

The lightness and dexterity of the playing throughout Backspacer, and of Vedder's hard-driving, often playful vocals, come from Pearl Jam's members taking this music seriously, honing in and nailing it.

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Boston Globe

Backspacer, the band’s ninth studio album [is] one of its most cohesive and satisfying in terms of brevity, crisp production, and a sharp focus.

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Blender

Backspacer is the bands most mature album to date and clocking in at just over 36 minutes, it is also their most condensed work; It’s as if Pearl Jam is channeling Ernest Hemingway, with not a wasted breath or note anywhere to be found.

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All Music Guide

Prior to Backspacer, Pearl Jam wouldn't or couldn't have made music this unfettered, unapologetically assured, casual, and, yes, fun.

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Billboard.com

The whole album has a pleasurable mix of lean, mean rock'n'roll and pensive ballads that reflect both the state of the world and the band's place in it.

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Q Magazine

For the first time in their 19-year career, Pearl Jam actually sound--whisper it--fun. [Oct 2009, p.119]

Mojo

'Just Breathe,' 'Amongst The Waves' and 'The End' make this one of Pearl jam's most satisfying albums. [Oct 2009, p.96]

The Guardian

This is a record made by mature men with perspective: full of reflection and eclecticism, finding space for both U2 guitar motifs and Buzzcocks solos.

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Rolling Stone

Backspacer, Pearl Jam's ninth album, backspaces to that boyish spirit, with the shortest, tightest, punkiest tunes they've ever banged out.

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Spin

For the first time in years, Pearl Jam are seizing the moment rather than wallowing in it.

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Uncut

The commitment that Vedder brings to all this material, from the rowdiest thrashing to the schmaltziest ballad makes this feel like a unified and ultimately convincing project. [Oct 2009, p.90]

The New York Times

It’s a set of 11 concise songs in 37 minutes that are mostly fast, loud, sinewy and live sounding.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Though it doesn’t hit with the same force as the early singles to which every future Pearl Jam anthem will be compared, it’s an oxygen rush nonetheless--one worth hoping for and high-fiving to when they unleash it live.

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Entertainment Weekly

The album grows same-y, but tracks like the surfing-as-life-metaphor anthem 'Amongst the Waves' do indeed make something old feel, if not new, good again.

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PopMatters

This is Pearl Jam’s "fun" record, a disc that was likely just as exciting as [to] record as it is to listen to.

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Drowned In Sound

Backspacer is very much calculated to sound the way it sounds, and suggesting Pearl Jam have lost anything would be premature. Ultimately there’s no point fretting about the future when contemplating a record that’s so very much a celebration of the moment.

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Sputnikmusic

Pearl Jam's ninth album sounds a lot more optimistic and positive than the band ever has. More importantly, Backspacer sees Pearl Jam finally escape the slump they fell into with "Binaural" nine years ago.

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musicOMH.com

When Pearl Jam shocked the world with Ten and Vs, there would have been few that believed the band were capable of an album such as Backspacer--an ostensibly traditional rock album that, at times, feels contented and at others strays close to emotional equity. The shock this time is that they nearly pull it off.

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cokemachineglow

A little more effort at the end would have been appreciated, but so long as you’re content with paying full price for what’s essentially twenty-eight minutes of listenable music, Backspacer works as a fun little rock n’roll record.

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Lost At Sea

Ultimately at this point, the songs that I'm most attracted to are still the slower, more intuitive weepers showcasing Vedder's voice, and alas, such simplicity is scarce on Backspacer.

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NOW Magazine

There’s a casual feel to this recording that generally works in its favour. Nothing sounds too laboured, and you get the feeling that they banged out the tunes quickly in an attempt to capture some live urgency. On the downside, the unpretentious approach often borders on unambitious.

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Paste Magazine

Outside of a filmic context and stamped with the name Pearl Jam, several of the songs fall flat, dragging down an otherwise upbeat and enjoyable release.

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Under The Radar

I still root for Pearl Jam, and listen to each of their albums with the hope that I'll get the same charge I did from Ten and Vs., and perhaps the greatest testament to Backspacer is that it's the most difficult album in a long time to immediately dismiss.

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Pitchfork

Virtually the whole record settles into the same formula the band's been dutifully churning out since the dawn of the millennium.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 9.1 (out of 10) based on 163 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Brad J gave it a10:
Just brilliant.

Wes C gave it a10:
One of the best albums of the years.

J T gave it a7:
I'm torn. The first six songs quite splendid, but the latter half kind of sags. All and all, the record is about as good as their 2006 self-titled album, just with the tracks in a less logical order. Pearl Jam fans will probably not be disappointed, but not stunned either.

Stephen D gave it a9:
Pearl Jam have embraced their fun side on Backspacer, with excellent results. Pitchfork, of course, hates it..... which is usually a good sign that I'll like it.

Chris C gave it a9:
Claudio D., your English is magical. That was beautiful. Eddie would be proud. Great album; welcome back, Pearl Jam.

Donal M gave it a2:
I'm a huge PJ fan, but this is hugely disappointing drivel. Its one of those albums, and I don't come across many, where I couldn't find any reasons to have a second listen. Since it was Pearl Jam, it got a second listen, and a third, but it still sounds like a whole album of filler. Its now out of the CD player and I don't know if it will go back in.

Damian g gave it a10:
Brought me back to the days of Ten, VS, even the excitement I felt after first listening to No Code. Brilliant!

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