That's a good post, Strat. Always good to have an interesting critique rather than a boring one sentence dismissal.
Here follows my two penneth (please forgive/ignore the indulgence):
I generally like my Pearl Jam music angular and a bit spiky. A little unexpected chord change here, a weird vocal trick there, hell, even a fire extinguisher or a dog growling. Kooky is good.* That's not to say that I dislike the more straightforward songs: I'll happily sing like a drunken eejit along to their more anthemic fayre when the mood takes me. But I generally prefer a Rival to a Once, or a Help Help to a Dissident any day of the week. That stated, here enters Can't Deny Me.
At first glance, it seems to be a typical latter-day Pearl Jam rocker. It's political but not overtly savage. As RM's only venomous mammal noted, Bushleaguer was much more vicious. It's got your typical song structure, with a sing-along chorus. So far, so typical. But what about our second, third, fourth glances? Hmph, there isn't much else to examine. It can be argued that this is not a huge failure (it is a lead single after all, and Pearl Jam's recent ones aren't exactly nuanced) but the Gods' Dice lover in me (hi Stip!
) would have loved a bit more depth and something different. Lots of RMers derided Mind Your Manners for similar failures, but it's a different beast and I always thought that MYM had an insane spark to it. (As an aside, the first time I saw MYM live I actually laughed at how manic and vibrant the song was when it concluded. The breathless final verses, breakneck music and final scream was akin to a clown running through a minefield).
Back to CDM: I would say that I'm still enjoying it but wonder about its longevity. The chorus is catchy, but doubtless it'll be appropriated by all the wrong people (someone earlier in the thread mentioned dumb-as-brick frat boys bellowing it which has taken the shine off it. Thanks for that you fucker!
). Depending on your mood, CDM can come across as having a bit of a groove to it, or possessing a sullen plod as grey as its artwork.** We'll see.
*Note, I mean Pearl Jam kooky, not experimental blip bloop kooky. I'm not suggesting that Pearl Jam are as experimental as the bands you listen to, or that I am as musically erudite as you, you big pseud you. So suck it.
**As a brief addendum, fuck me, that artwork is atrociously bad. Boring, insipid; it almost has a "will this do?" assignment vibe. "Fuck, there's class in the morning and I haven't produced a thing! Quick, draw a crowd, three hanging cocks, and a girl in the middle who looks like she's shat herself. Fuck Trump!"
Jeff did it, right? Compare this to Tone's artwork. Fuck's sake.
