Pearl Jam's "Backspacer"

Pearl Jam has a new album out -- Backspacer -- and I've downloaded a couple of the songs today which I am thoroughly enjoying: Just Breathe and The End.

Both songs are slow, mellow, and simple (reminiscent of the songs from "Into the Wild," although I guess you might not describe those as simple), and they remind me that Eddie Vedder's got one the coolest voices of the current male singers.

I've just read a review of Backspacer on Rolling Stone, and the reference to Just Breathe made me laugh: "It's is a love song that deserves to become Pearl Jam's wedding-song standard." (320. Why do I always like the gushy ones?!)

I also like this line from the review: "Vedder seems relieved not to have to go on singing about George Bush, and he loosens up enough to share his guarded optimism in the new songs."

Vedder's masterpieces remain the duets with Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan. But these songs are definitely going into my rotation. Here's an excerpt from Just Breathe:

I’m a lucky man to count on both hands
The ones I love

Some folks just have one,
Others they got none

Stay with me
Let’s just breathe.

Practiced are my sins,
Never gonna let me win

Under everything, just another human being,
I don’t wanna hurt, there’s so much in this world
To make me bleed.

Stay with me
You’re all I see.