Pearl Jam treated a group of invited guests to a premiere playback of the band’s forthcoming 12th studio album on Wednesday, January 31, at a listening party held at the famed Troubadour club in West Hollywood, California.
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Spin reports that three Pearl Jam members attended the event, singer Eddie Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, and bassist Jeff Ament, as well as the album’s producer, Andrew Watt.
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“No hyperbole—I think this is our best work,” Vedder said during the gathering, according to Spin. The singer later poured shots of tequila for some attendees.
Ament, meanwhile, commented, “I couldn’t be prouder of us as a band,” and reportedly became emotional as he discussed the album’s creation.
According to Spin, the new record “offers a little bit of everything for the longtime Pearl Jam fan.”
The magazine shared that the album includes “several intense rockers,” a couple of acoustic tunes reminiscent of the late Tom Petty, and a song that brings to mind the “off-kilter feel” of such earlier Pearl Jam songs as “Parachutes” and “All Those Yesterdays.”
About the Recording of the Album
Watt, huge Pearl Jam fan, was hired taped to produce the band’s new album after working with Vedder on the singer’s 2021 solo record, Earthling. Earthling was recorded at Watt’s home studio, and Pearl Jam also worked on much of their new album there. For some sessions, the proceedings were moved to Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La studio after Watt’s studio got flooded.
Pearl Jam’s History with the Troubadour Club
Having the Troubadour serve as the site of the listening party was apparently a full-circle moment for Pearl Jam, as Vedder noted that the band played at the venue in October 1991 at the time that the group’s debut album, Ten, was becoming huge.
The new album’s title and release date have yet to be announced.
McCready’s Previous Comments About the New Album
McCready shared some details about the album in a recent interview with Classic Rock magazine.
Regarding the sound of the new tunes, the guitarist said, “It’s a lot heavier than you’d expect.”
He also shared that the songs hearken back to Pearl Jam’s early material, while noting that Watt was a big motivating factor in the studio.
“There’s the melody and energy of the first couple of records,” McCready maintained. “Andrew pushed us to play as hard and melodic and thoughtful as we’ve done in a long time.”
Pearl Jam’s 2024 Concert Plans
Spin also reported that Pearl Jam was expected to announce plans for a full 2024 tour soon. The grunge greats currently only have one performance lined up in the U.S. this year, a May 25 headlining set at the BottleRock Napa Valley festival in Napa, California.
Pearl Jam also is confirmed to be headlining a pair of European festivals this summer—the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, Spain, on July 11, and the NOS Alive Festival in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 13.
Tickets to BottleRock Napa Valley festival and Pearl Jam’s other performances are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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