Into The Wild

The soundtrack to the Sean Penn film Into the Wild acts equally well as Eddie Vedder's solo debut. Most of it veers towards the softer acoustic sounds we have become accustomed to in a portion of Pearl Jams work. There is something inherently powerful about the strength of Vedder's voice against a minimal musical backdrop.

"Hard Sun" is one of the most fully fleshed out songs on the disc. It's an obscure cover from a 1989 album by the group Indio. On it Vedder wails a bit more forcefully than on most of the other tracks.

Unlike most Pearl Jam albums the accompanying booklet has lyrics printed that are easy to read. It's kind of ironic since Eddie's words are fairly easy to understand on this one.

A very enjoyable listen and a no-brainer for Pearl Jam fans as well as those who specifically appreciate the softer side they sometimes offer.

It strikes me that this will be a good one to press play on, late at night, right before bed.