Grunge era survivors turned live rock institution, Pearl Jam are one of American music’s most treasured acts, but given their hard-working life on the road, it’s often a long time between offerings when it comes to their albums. But following on from teasing their new material will be “weird and experimental“, fans no longer have to wait to see just what that means.
Pearl Jam will release Lightning Bolt, their tenth studio album, on October 15th, their first since 2009’s Brendan O’Brien produced Backspacer, and today the band have released the energetic first taste of their new record in its lead single, ‘Mind Your Manners’.
Guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard had previously hinted that new material woud represent a slight departure for the five-piece, noting the band’s listening habits have returned to the harder, heavier days of punk yore.
The influence of classic punk like The Buzzcocks and hardcore heroes Black Flag has mixed with Pearl Jam’s own keen sense of melody and energy to some fiery results.
Skittish guitars are propelled by drummer Matt Cameron’s meaty drumming before the whole thing slides into a spiky punk attack as Eddie Vedder gets to let his vocals fly in some looser directions while bassist Jeff Ament keeps all the turns ticking. It all clocks in under three minutes in a breathless rush of energy, not bad for a bunch of blokes who are collectively pushing 50 years of age.
Earlier this month, a tracklist for Pearl Jam’s new album was circulating online; called Tides, it’s now proven to be an incorrect title, but the presence of ‘Mind Your Manners’ among the 12-song list may yet prove to be correct. Either way the album artwork and an online trailer have surfaced (which you can view below) confirming Lightning Bolt‘s October release.
Best of all, Australian audiences may be among the first in the world to hear the new material live. Fresh from unearthing the possibility of Nine Inch Nails headlining Soundwave 2014, music rumourmonger and Triple M reporter Nui Te Koha has told the station that, “Pearl Jam is back on the tour radar for early next year” for an Australian tours.
Te Koha notes there are “several” promoters attempting to book the band for another visit Down Under, and “I dare say they will be very successful,” he teases, “Pearl Jam love it down here.”
The band are currently touring North America and have dates booked through till the end of the year, adding credence to the Australian 2014 Tour rumour. The Seattle quintet last toured Australia in support of Backspacer in 2009 with their usual, nearly three hour long marathon shows, with support from Ben Harper and Liam Finn.
Watch the album trailer for Pearl Jam’s Lightning Bolt below and view the album art and possible tracklist.
Lightning Bolt Rumoured Tracklisting
01. Revolution Reruns
02. Kickstop
03. Vivid Futures
04. Mind Your Manners
05. The Undertow
06. Red
07. Of The Earth
08. Tracking Change
09. Uncharted Terrain
10. Foliage
11. Derision
12. Sans Finis
