This review covers the alternative rock track Pearl Jam – Given to Fly.
This track was released in 1998 on the album Yield.
The track starts off with guitars – some of which are more acoustic sounding. The vocals then coming for a verse. These are joined by the drum kit.
From there, the guitars increase in presence as the track goes into the main chorus. Some lead guitars then come in. This is capped off with the acoustic guitars and drum kit taking over for a short instrumental section.
After that, the vocals come back for another verse. A subtle snare roll hits and the lead guitars return. The vocals then take the track into the main chorus. The vocals extend the main chorus. From there, the track pulls back, leaving just the more acoustic guitars to lead the track out.
When I first heard this, my first thought was, “Erm, that’s it?” I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve given positive reviews to Pearl Jam tracks in the past, but this just doesn’t do anything for me. Nothing really grab my attention in this track.
The vocals are barely comprehensible. I know this has been an issue for me, but only moderately. In this track, I can’t even understand 90% of the lyrics. The vocals themselves sound decent, but I could hardly understand anything that is being sung let alone derive meaning from it.
In addition to this, the guitars are pretty hit and miss. In the main chorus, they sound decent enough, but otherwise, they sound so bland. Because of this, this is the kind of music I might listen to if I want to fall asleep to. I just don’t hear much in the way of energy here.
Overall, this is a pretty bland track. The vocals do sound decent, but I could hardly understand anything that is being said here. Meanwhile, the guitars are low energy and, at best, are half way decent in certain parts of the track. Unfortunately, this winds up being a flop for me.
Score
5.5/10
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Facebook.
