American rock band Pearl Jam released its eleventh studio album, Gigaton, on March 27. It is the band's first studio album in seven years and is noticeably more punk and experimental than the band’s grunge, rock and roll style. It also brings in some current and politically themes into the songs.
The band, that has its roots in Seattle, Washington and was one of the key acts in the grunge movement of the early 1990s, consists of Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guitar), Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), as well as Matt Cameron (drums).
Sonically, the album is much more experimental than the band’s previous works. The song Superblood Wolfmoon, for instance, is assertively punk. But for fans of Vedder’s deep voice and the band’s grunge aesthetic, Who Ever Said and Quick Escape are the numbers to listen to.
Gigaton’s album cover is a photograph of a glacier in Svalbard, Norway by photographer Paul Nicklen. Scientists say this glacier is warming faster than any other place on Earth. Since the band has been an active advocate for environmental causes, this makes for a fitting cover. Quick Escape is about the fragile nature of the Earth, with lyrics, 'And we think about the old days, of green grass, sky and red wine. Should've known, so fragile. And avoided this one-way flight.'
The band also doesn't hold back on commenting on President Trump’s views on the issues. The same song has the lyrics, 'Crossed the border to Morocco, Kashmir to Marrakesh, The lengths we had to go to then, To find a place Trump hadn't f*cked up yet'.
The album is available on all streaming platforms