“Yield”

Pearl Jam

There is good news and there is bad news when it comes to Pearl Jam’s latest release.

The good news is that the group hasn’t forsaken its fans, at least those who liked “Versus,” “Vitalogy” and “No Code.” Those who think that “Ten” is Pearl Jam’s best CD and are waiting for a repeat are once again going to be disappointed.

The bad news is that “Yield” is not going to gain Pearl Jam many new fans. It simply doesn’t offer enough of a variety to win over those people who hated the group’s last three offerings or the awful collaboration with Neil Young.

Most of the material on “Yield” seems fairly old hat by now. The standard Pearl Jam song formula (soaring vocals, backed by a soft tempo that is filled with strumming guitars and tepid drumming, which eventually breaks into a half-hearted rocker occasionally) is evident everywhere, from “Faithfull” to the first radio single, “Given To Fly.”

Of course, there are exceptions to almost every rule or formula. Take “No Way” for instance. It is a pretty lame song with an ignorable chorus and a barely simmering rhythm.

There is also a song denoted by a red dot that is remarkably similar to Stomp, only catchier.

The rest of the material on the CD ranges from the breathtakingly beautiful “Wishlist,” “Low Light” and “All Those Yesterdays” to the redundant “Brain of J.” to the irritating “Do The Evolution.”

What is perhaps most disappointing of all, however, is the studio sound of the entire disc. It almost seems like the group purposefully over-produced and over-dubbed each song to sound as radio-friendly as possible.

This can be seen as a good thing because the group desperately needs to be played on radio rotation several hundred times a day to bolster sales, but it can also be bad because every song seems a little too perfect, detracting from their spontaneity and energy.

“Yield” is at least a far more solid effort than “No Code” and, to a lesser extent, “Vitalogy” (both of which I hated immensely).

Vocalist Eddie Vedder’s voice has never reached the emotional depth that it does here, and guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard are allowed to showcase their considerable talent at long last.

Unfortunately, “Yield” is a slightly-better-than-mediocre CD at best.

3 stars out of five

— Ben Jones

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“Imperial Comet Hour”

Mexico70

Taking just the name of the band and nothing else, one would guess “Imperial Comet Hour” to be a 60 minute mariachi performance.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth; in fact, Mexico70 is another Brit popster group trying to make it big in the states.

The only difference between Mexico70 and most of the other Brit acts is that it may have actually discovered the way to do it.

“Imperial Comet Hour” is the second effort from Mexico70 and features Mick Bunk and company immersing into the culture the group really wanted to speak to — Middle America.

So Mexico70 spent a winter in rural Michigan to grind out a pop album corn fed and American weathered. What was created is one of the smartest and least annoying Brit pop efforts to date.

Melding the traditional British pop with the American alt-pop, characteristic of Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind, Mexico70 has created a sound all its own.

The only question that remains is if Mexico70 can stand up against its big industry state-side competitors. If talent and a good CD does the trick, the group should have no problems.

4 stars out of five

— Dave Faux

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“Sehnsucht”

Rammstein

There is a debate as to whether German industrial goons Rammstein takes its name from the site of an inordinate number of plane crashes or a battering ram made of stone.

A better translation would be Marilyn Manson in a volkswagen, drinking beer and eating sausage. Only Manson cuts himself on stage, and Rammstein frontman Richard Kruspe lights himself on fire.

However, “Sehnsucht” bleeds more of KMFDM than Manson, with the exception of a few twisted “ballads.”

English versions of “Engel” and “Du Hast” give a little better idea of what Rammstein is all about, although its true spirit is captured on the mystical “Klavier” and the speed disco “Tier.”

Rammstein is a definite one of a kind, but theatrics are hard to capture on disc.

2 1/2 stars out of five

— Corey Moss