Sounds Unfamiliar
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All three have undergone substantial personal changes since their last records. Vega got married and had a baby, Mellencamp suffered a heart attack, and Pearl Jam tasted the bitterness of backlash. It’s not unusual for an artist’s experience to affect his work, of course, but in each of these cases it seems to have prompted full-fledged artistic reevaluation.
Froom’s knack for pinched, bass-heavy grooves has fully wiped away the ineffective politesse of Vega’s folk-rock days. Her wisp of a voice can still only sketch her fragile melodies, but Froom has figured out how to frame them (he obliterated them on 99.9 F°). Enhanced by the cool horns of Dave Douglas and Don Byron, “Caramel” is a sleek modern samba; “Casual Match” rides the insistent throb of two drummers, Jerry Marotta and the Attractions’ Pete Thomas. “No Cheap Thrill” is as radio friendly as they come.
Its observations may not be earth-shattering, but No Code is the band’s finest record–though its initial sales look anemic next to Vitalogy’s. While Vega and Mellencamp seem likely to continue receding in importance, Pearl Jam may have finally discovered what’s important.
