Eddie Vedder and his assortment of grunge survivors have travelled a long way since their 1992 debut, Ten.
This eponymous eighth album marks a return to rockier climes for the Seattle outfit. Mr Vedder is evidently not happy with the state of the world as evidenced on Army Reserve and new single, World Wide Suicide.
His voice no longer soars quite as it did back in the early days, but the grit adds a new conviction. And Mike McCready plays some beautiful, bluesy lead work.
Pearl Jam have never been a conventional band, often refusing to play the industry game. But this is a surprisingly conventional rock release. Not that they suffer for it. These tracks won't sound out of place alongside songs from throughout their career when they headline the Carling Weekend Leeds Festival tonight.
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