Pearl Jam Releases Shocking New Album

Pearl Jam’s new album cover. The album, Lightning Bolt, was released on October 11, 2013.

Wikipedia © 2013

Pearl Jam’s new album cover. The album, Lightning Bolt, was released on October 11, 2013.

Natori Cruz, Editor

American band Pearl Jam released their tenth studio album on October 11, 2013. The album is titled Lightning Bolt and has 12 songs on the featured setlist, including their hit single from the album “Mind Your Manners” which came out July 11, 2013.

The 90s rock band had begun recording the song two years after their ninth album, Backspacer, came out in 2009. Lead singer and guitarist Eddie Vedder wrote all of the songs. The album was recorded with Monkeywrench and Republic Records. “We’re more of a group than ever, and the space in between [albums] is healthy. It’s a big part of everybody’s life, to be playing music, at all times. And at the same time, it’s important to us to be part of our families, to not be absent fathers,” Vedder comments to Rolling Stone about the gap between the two albums.

First song “Getaway” has a different vibe from the rest of the songs, it just seems a little more alternative than Pearl Jam has ever been and it’s my favorite song off the album. The band bounces back with their classic rock with the second song and first single, “Mind Your Manners” followed by “My Father’s Son.”The first love song off of Lightning Bolt album, Sirens, was a semi-slow ballad, a little too slow for me to love but I did enjoy it. Album-titled fifth song, “Lightning Bolt” was more alternative-rock, similar to “Getaway,” being another favorite. After “Infallible,”  “Pendulum” does great with harmonizing, being the best off of the album. “Swallowed Whole” sounds much like how Pearl Jam sounded back in the 90s, some grunge-inspired music like Nirvana. “Let the Records Play” would have to be the most upbeat song on the album, like a dance-rock song. The album features two more songs, and finishes with a delicate ballad titled “Future Days.” “I think it’ll be one of those that people cry to, hopefully get a little closer to their loved ones when they hear it,” says McCready. “I was feeling that that night [at Wrigley Field in July when Pearl Jam debuted it]. I was feeling it with the whole crowd.”