By Stephen Sears

For those who hoped Pearl Jam would hearken back to their former grunge selves, their new album, “Riot Act,” will be a very big disappointment. The new album’s fifteen tracks follow the pattern of 2000’s more mellow, more introspective “Binaural,” rather than the bombastic, anthem-filled “Ten.”

The opening track, “Can’t Keep,” is a perfect example of the new direction of Pearl Jam’s music. The amps are turned down, and so is lead singer Eddie Vedder’s voice. He sings the song with a quiet defiance as a soft guitar riff loops around and around. This same resoluteness can be heard in the album’s first single, “I Am Mine.” It is one of the album’s few sing-along songs where Vedder confidently states, “I know I was born and I know that I’ll die/the in-between is mine.”

Each song on this album has something new to offer. The hard-rocking “Save You,” accompanied by Vedder’s disjointed singing, comes after the mellow opening track. “Love Boat Captain” follows, a very solid song with a Beatle-esque “All You Need Is Love” mantra. Another change-up is thrown in with “Thumbing My Way,” a somber and folksy tune that stands out in an album dominated by electric guitars.

Pearl Jam also proves that they are more than Eddie Vedder and a bunch of back-up musicians. The trend started in “Binaural,” and continues here. Drummer Matt Cameron wrote two songs, “You Are” and “Get Right.” Both tracks are more than adequate. Bassist Jeff Ament penned the quirky “Help Help.” Rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard co-wrote “Bu$hleaguer,” an obvious protest against President Bush, and the finale, “All Or None.”

The band is no longer the group of angry twenty-year-olds they were in the early 1990s. They have certainly mellowed down following the example set by their front-man. Eddie Vedder is much more philosophical and cunning than before. He writes and sings these songs, not demanding changes to the way the world works, but accepting the realities around him. He analyzes what he sees rather than loudly voicing his dissatisfaction. In “Cropduster,” he sings, “I thought the world/turns out the world thought me.” The band has nestled in, secure of themselves, and are just trying to comprehend the madness surrounding us all.

“Riot Act” is a diverse album that is sure to please Pearl Jam’s die-hard fans. The casual fans may or may not be as accepting, but the band is intent on moving in new musical directions