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Backspacer - Pearl Jam
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Metascore
79 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.0 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 178 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: The ninth studio album for the Seattle-based alt rock band was produced with Brendan O'Brien.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Los Angeles Times
    100
    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.
  2. Blender
    90
    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.
  3. Lost At Sea
    60
    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.

See all 24 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 79
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 79
  3. Negative: 1 out of 79
  1. BradJ
    10
    Just brilliant.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. spacecadet
    5
    i just wrote reviews for zeitgeist by the smashing pumpkins and the king of limbs by radiohead here. same damn problem with all three. its a well enough album... good tunes but it ranks (just a tiny bit below riot act) as the worst effort by the band ever! which is not a bad thing to itself.. some bands pride themselves on being just a bit worse than pearl jams worst effort. but pearl jam cant be one of those bands :)… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. DonalM
    2
    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.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 79 User Reviews

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