“World Wide Suicide”
from the album Pearl Jam
2006
iTunes
Download an MP3 of “World Wide Suicide” from the band’s website
Pearl Jam wears its emotions on its sleeve on its self-titled eighth album, which will be released May 2.
Material for the 13-track set took shape in the wake of President George W. Bush’s re-election as well as the United States-led invasion of Iraq, the third anniversary of which is quickly approaching.
“It’s understandable why someone would like their entertainment to provide an escape from modern day worries and the reality of war,” Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder told Billboard.com. “We feel this record creates a healthy opportunity to process some of these emotions rather than deny them.”
The J Records set marks the band’s first studio set since 2002’s Riot Act, which took aim at Bush with the track “Bushleaguer,” which Vedder wrote with guitarist Stone Gossard.
Two tracks have already been debuted live: “Comatose,” which was previously known as “Crapshoot Rapture,” is a fast, punkish rocker in the vein of 1994’s “Spin the Black Circle,” while Vedder’s “Gone” was unveiled last fall during a show in Atlantic City, N.J. His solo demo of the song was recently included on Pearl Jam’s annual holiday single for members of its Ten Club fan organization.
In a move that is unprecedented for a band of its stature, Pearl Jam is giving away a free MP3 of first single “World Wide Suicide” via its Web site, simultaneous with its Tuesday release to U.S. rock radio outlets. Also expected in the next week is an announcement about Pearl Jam’s 2006 touring plans.