Over the course of its first eight studio albums, Pearl Jam had its share of miscues – usually due to self-importance or over-ambition – but the band was never guilty of being average.

That day has come. Which is not to say that PJ has devolved into just another average band. Far from it. But given the consistently high quality of its recorded output since 1991, Backspacer (Monkeywrench) can’t be accorded a higher evaluation than, yes, average.

Not one of the 11 songs would make its way into the upper echelon of the Pearl Jam canon. These are competent rock tunes, straightforwardly produced by Brendan O’Brien, many of which fall back on familiar PJ tropes, but which lack the menace and abandon that has made the Seattle quintet so compelling over the years. Compared to prior work, Backspacer is lighter and poppier – not a stance that suits the band.

This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 7, 2009.