Pearl Jam is one of the few survivors of the grunge rock era that entranced teenagers in the ‘90s. They have tried to mature with their audience, and that has been met with varying critical and commercial success. “Lightning Bolt” hopes to bring back their core audience of longtime fan boys and reach a younger audience as well. The album is a fun listen with a surprising amount of variety that they lacked in previous albums.
The opening song, “Getaway,” is one of the strongest of their later albums. Vedder’s singing is melodic and catchy but still allows for the band to rock out. This song is a very strong example of the maturation of the band because of their ability to balance their old style with the new. In “Getaway”, Vedder sings “But I’ve found my place/ and it’s alright”, suggesting the band has indeed found their place in the rock scene with this new album.
Pearl Jam’s past few albums such as “Pearl Jam” and “Backspacer” seemed to have alienated their audience who craved the grungy/ classic incarnations of their youth because they opted for a more tame ‘classic rock’ sound. But in “Lightning Bolt,” longtime lead singer Eddie Vedder pays homage to their original style with songs such as “Pendulum” and “Mind Your Manners.” He also mixes the style up with some songs that have an acoustic guitar tone such as “Future Days,” “Sirens” and “Swallowed Whole.” Songs like this vary their style and show a band that can still surprise their fans and cater toward their desires for an album like their debut, “Ten.”
Another surprising entry was the song “Sleeping By Myself.” Vedder first released it on a collection of songs he performed on ukulele. The song translates well with a full band and allows for a new reinterpretation of the song. The inspired, fast-paced “Mind Your Manners” and a few other tunes share that signature mid-tempo Pearl Jam sound. This album puts forth the best of all their average songs of the past decade.
The guitar work is reminiscent of their early work as well. “Infallible” features a synthesized percussion noise that is produced to the point that it sounds similar to an organ or a guitar. Because of this, it builds not with their traditional style, but with a better produced, more modern feel. Guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard bring forth an almost country vibe to “Let the Records Play.” From electrifying solos to Vedders’ subtle shrieking, the band has changed stylistically but is still similar enough to the group America grew to know and love.
The final song, “Future Days,” carries a mix of classical music with violins and pianos adorning the background and enough energy to keep the crowd going. It is hopeful in the best way and allows for the record to end on a positive note. This lightning bolt hits true to form and should remind all Pearl Jam fans of the band that shaped their formative years.
In the end, “Lightning Bolt” shows a much happier and more mature version of the band. Pearl Jam has achieved everything they wanted to with its release: a return to their old grunge roots but also an introduction to catchier lyrics and more acoustic material meant to draw in a new generation of fans. Though some still long for the messy rock of the band’s beginnings, this album invokes the earlier gravity the band put into their music and stands out as one of the better album of their later years.
