Yield
The Seattle band once notable for its arena rock anthems is now remarkable mostly for its hushed melodies. On Pearl Jam's fifth album, the rockers seem slapdash ("Do the Evolution", "Brain of J"), and the arty experiments sound self-conscious (especially the 67-second knockoff, "-"). That leaves the ballads, especially the lovely lilt of "Low Light" and the clear-eyed lament of "Wishlist." On the latter song, Ed Vedder (as he now calls himself) yearns to be many different things, from a neutron bomb to a souvenir key chain. However, the line that sticks out is, "I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me." Instead of considering himself lucky to be a rock star, Vedder sounds relieved to have moved beyond it.--Keith Moerer