Gigaton

超重量級の一発!
パール・ジャム6年半ぶり、11作目となる待望のニュー・アルバム

2013年10月にリリースし、グラミー賞も受賞した『ライトニング・ボルト』以来の最新作。

ジョシュ・エヴァンスとパール・ジャムによるプロデュース

40ページ・ブックレットを含むハード・カバー・ブック仕様CD
ジャケット写真は、カナダ人の写真家、映像作家、そして海洋生物学者であるポール・ニックレン氏が撮った写真「Ice Waterfall」をフィーチャー。

Urgency has been Pearl Jams calling card since their inception, which is why it was a jolt to hear the band sound so settled on 2013s Lightning Bolt. Maybe its the times, maybe its the choice to switch producers -- the group swapped their longtime collaborator Brendan OBrien for Josh Evans, who co-produced the album with the band -- but Gigaton hits with the strength of a full-force gale. Weather is a galvanizing concern on Gigaton, with Pearl Jam structuring their tenth album around the looming climate change crisis. Theres little subtlety in this regard: the title refers to the amount of ice lost at the arctic poles, the albums cover depicts a melting glacier, and the lyrics are lousy with apocalyptic imagery, not all of it derived from the climate. Eddie Vedder repeatedly and explicitly wrangles with Donald J. Trump, his righteous anger spilling outside the confines of Quick Escape and Never Destination and running through the album as a whole, providing a simmer even at its quietest moments. Despite its unconcealed outrage, Gigaton does have its share of shade and texture even before it settles into a number of meditative moments on its second side. The loud, aggressive cuts dont lumber, they pierce: Who Ever Said has a whirlwind propulsion reminiscent of classic Who, Superblood Wolfmoon is a cloistered bit of mania, and Take the Long Way flirts with power pop thanks to its candied chorus. Against this backdrop, the bands sonic departures hit even harder, with the arty soundscape of Alright sounding as bracing as the new wave-disco of Dance of the Clairvoyants. The aural adventure adds a nice counterpoint to protests and pleas offered up by Pearl Jam, and helps Gigaton feel vivid, alive, and just a shade hopeful. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

ギガトン! グラミーに輝いた前作『Lightning Bolt』から約7年ぶりの11作目は、ブレンダン・オブライエンではなく近年のスタジオ・ワークを支えるジョシュ・エヴァンスとの共同プロデュース。プリミティヴなロックンロール"Superblood Wolfmoon"を豪快に叩き出す一方、まさかのトーキング・ヘッズ的なニューウェイヴ調の"Dance Of The Clairvoyants"というトライもあり、まだまだ貪欲に進化せんとする姿を刻んだ意欲作だ。
bounce (C)香椎恵