Riot Act
Riot Act gives Pearl Jam's harder playing a more detailed and restless setting. The band have room for large riffs, quieter passages and less conventional vocal ideas, with Matt Cameron's drums helping the different approaches stay connected. The production brings a welcome clarity to the arrangements. The songs remain uneven, but the best material has a clear sense of purpose.
Can't Keep begins in a restrained mood. The controlled opening gives little away before Save You supplies a much more forceful response. Its guitar riff and firm drums establish one of the record's strongest rock performances, with Jeff Ament's bass adding movement underneath.
Cropduster makes good use of the space between acoustic and electric textures. The melody remains easy to follow, while the arrangement avoids making the quieter and heavier elements feel like separate ideas. I Am Mine is another highlight. A measured opening leads into a fuller chorus, giving Eddie Vedder a convincing setting for his delivery.
Green Disease adds a quicker burst of energy. The rhythm and recurring hook make it stand apart from the more subdued material. The band sound engaged when the playing has this kind of direct connection to a song, rather than relying entirely on the weight of the guitars.
The quieter choices provide useful changes of scale. Thumbing My Way keeps the accompaniment relatively spare, and All or None ends the album with mellow guitar and piano detail. Their restraint broadens the record, although the slower material is not equally involving throughout.
Some of the less conventional ideas also feel underdeveloped. Help Help has a weaker vocal melody, while the short, layered voices of Arc offer atmosphere without adding much shape to the sequence. Several passages lack the immediate appeal of the stronger songs.
Even so, Riot Act has enough care in its arrangements to make the less obvious choices interesting. Pearl Jam combine force with a more thoughtful use of texture, and the rhythm section gives the music a substantial foundation. The album rewards attention while leaving room to wish for a tighter set of songs.
