Album Review: Yield - Pearl Jam

I listened to Yield recently. I'd always been someone who'd listened to a small scattering of Pearl Jam's songs, but the last time I sat down and listened to a full album of theirs was when I listened to Ten some years ago- an experience that I have largely completely forgotten. Which makes one wonder about the band's album delivery.

One thing remains true about my general experience with this band: They're really good at making a handful of songs per album that stay with me, amidst several others that blur into each other into a big indistinct soup of Matchbox Twenty-esque radio rock. What I can say about Yield, however, is that this contrast between "memorable track" and "the indistinct soup" was even greater than the one present within Ten. I don't know if that means that Yield is therefore better than Ten, and maybe I'd need to listen to Ten again to form a proper and up-to-date opinion, but I will say that 80% of Yield did not escape my memory immediately after listening to it, as with Ten.

So. That's something.

Best Tracks:
Undoubtedly, the powerhouse track of this album is Do the Evolution, but nobody needs that explained. The fact that it follows such a one-note track as Pilate is something that almost exaggerates its presence. The previous song trails off into silence and leaves me feeling nothing at all before I am decked full-force in the jaw by Do the Evolution, and it is glorious. I was also very fond of the opening track Brain of J., which is one I returned to a few more times after finishing the album. Something about that one feels very timeless, very spirited, maybe not quite as brutal as Do the Evolution, but it's a very gripping opener. Push Me, Pull Me was also interesting enough, Hummus was an amusing little track, The Color Red was interesting, and I didn't dislike Faithfull or Given to Fly, even if they're not my favorites.

Worst Tracks:
I'm not sure if there are "worst" tracks on this album so much as there are tracks I just cannot remember for the life of me, or ones that I can remember, if not completely due to how dull they are. I spent Wishlist wishing the song was shorter. No Way was a track that felt like a chore to listen to (but at the very least, I fully expected Eddie to say "all the static in my ass" when he said "all the static in my Attica", which was the most enjoyment I got out of that song). Pilate was not enjoyable and all the more makes me feel like Do the Evolution was rescuing me via helicopter.

What Could've Been Better?:
Your samey chorus needs to feel distinct enough from the verses it proceeds or your music makes me feel like I am drowning in oatmeal. Your samey chorus should not feel like it is hanging around excessively. Better yet, make your chorus less samey. Variation. Please.

All in All:
This album feels like a very strange jam session between the prior-mentioned Matchbox Twenty, Yello, and Metallica. I didn't completely dislike it, but it once again proves I would rather listen to 3-4 songs off a Pearl Jam album than the entire album.

2.5/5