Since Backspacer dropped yesterday, the first thing I did on Sunday was head down to my local Target to purchase the album. I've been listening to the album non-stop since I got it yesterday, and I really like it. Now it’s obviously not my favorite Pearl Jam album, but I do like it more than the band’s last album, the self-titled Pearl Jam. I think the fact that the country is no longer under the command of the Bush regime has freed PJ up to focus their immense talent on other issues and topics, which has allowed their creativity to flourish.
One of my favorite parts of the new album is its cover! It was designed by Tom Tomorrow (a.k.a. editorial cartoonist Dan Perkins), who is best well known for his liberal slanted weekly comic strip This Modern World. Tomorrow’s artwork for the album’s cover, packaging and inside booklet is really cool looking and all over the place. Each drawing in Backspacer has a very pop art feel to it, which of course I love, and it's going to look really killer as a screen print for one of Pearl Jam’s upcoming concerts.
For those of you wanting to pick up a copy of Backspacer on cd or vinyl, please remember the album is a Target exclusive, which sort of explains why it was released on a Sunday instead of this Tuesday. The album is also available on iTunes and local indie music stores nationwide.
