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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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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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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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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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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.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 213 out of 241
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Mixed: 22 out of 241
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Negative: 6 out of 241
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Jul 7, 2012an amazing work for an amazing band that proves they are still relevant and still a music genius
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Nov 12, 2012
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Jun 3, 2011Meh, pretty boring album, nothing really special but it isn't awful.