Lightning Bolt | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 15, 2013[1] | |||
Recorded | 2011–2013 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 47:14 | |||
Label | Monkeywrench, Republic | |||
Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
Pearl Jam chronology | ||||
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Singles from Lightning Bolt | ||||
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Lightning Bolt is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Produced by long-time Pearl Jam collaborator Brendan O'Brien, the album was released in the United States on October 15, 2013, through the band's own Monkeywrench Records, with Republic Records handling the international release one day earlier.
The band began composing new songs in 2011, the album's first recording sessions took place in early 2012 before the musicians decided to take a break. As all band members got into side projects afterwards, work on Lightning Bolt only resumed in March 2013. The music for Lightning Bolt has a harder rock sound with longer songs in contrast to predecessor Backspacer (2009), and the lyrics convey singer Eddie Vedder's feelings on aging and mortality.
Preceded by a promotional campaign focusing on Pearl Jam's website and social network profiles and two moderately successful singles, "Mind Your Manners" and "Sirens", Lightning Bolt was well received by critics, who considered the album an effective return to the band's old sound, and topped the charts in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Ultimately, Lightning Bolt became the only Pearl Jam studio album of original material released in the 2010s decade (as its predecessor Backspacer was released in 2009 and its successor Gigaton was released in 2020).