Face it, Pearl Jam will never be respected for the group of brilliant musicians they are. Instead, Eddie, Matt, Jeff, Stone and Mike will forever be connected with the grunge movement in the early ’90s.
With Riot Act — the band’s most ambitious album since 1993’s Vitalogy — Pearl Jam displays its musicianship with a ferocity not seen in any recent act, hoping to dispel that connection completely. Most anyone who listens to the album will change his or her opinion of the band for the better, as it makes Pearl Jam stand out from the other bands that helped bring the Seattle scene to the homogenized MTV masses.
Riot Act makes a great addition to the canon of Pearl Jam releases. The band ditches the experimental sounds heard on Yield and No Code, and plays to its strengths, showcasing the pure musical talent it possesses.
The album contains slower ballads like the acoustic “Thumbing My Way” and “1/2 Full,” and keeps listeners engaged with heavier, more aggressive tracks like “Wanted to Get Right” and “Save You.” The dynamic exchange of tracks makes this album a full-blown rock n’ roll experience, harkening memories of PJ’s earlier material.
Drummer Matt Cameron’s addition to the band brings nothing but glowing results to both its studio albums and live performances. On Riot Act he penned the music and the lyrics for one of the band’s best songs in years, “You Are,” creating an abstract sound by playing the guitar through a drum machine. While Peal Jam’s lyrics have always been filled with introspective thoughts, Riot Act is the band’s most personal effort yet. On “Love Boat Captain” Vedder sings: “Lost nine friends we’ll never know two years ago today/And if our lives became too long, would it add to our regret,” responding to the death of nine fans at a concert in Denmark.
Successfully mixing guitar sounds and crooning vocals make Riot Act destined to be a classic among fans and critics alike. As for those who pigeonholed Pearl Jam into a grunge-only sound, this album not only shows the band’s musical talents but also serves as a subtle reminder that grunge died nearly a decade ago.
