Vedder's ukulele problem

Eddie Vedder, the Pearl Jam frontman, has released an album that will confuse and astound his listeners.
 
Eschewing the use of a band — or even a rock staple, the guitar — Vedder has recorded an album using little more than a ukulele. It’s a strange and unfortunate choice.

There may be some gems hidden away on “Ukulele Songs,” but they are disguised by the minimal instrumentation. Some of these songs sound like they could be real rockers like the opening track, “Can’t Keep.” Others would be more suited to the more expressive guitar (“More Than You Know.”)

A lot of this album’s problems can be attributed to the damned ukulele.

Vedder’s endless strumming patterns are overly repetitive. With 16 songs that sound pretty similar, minus two that are less than a minute, they all end up blending together. At slightly over 34 minutes, the album is quite short, yet it still feels too long.

Only once does Vedder steer clear of the stereotypical ukulele playing. “Satellite,” a charming little ballad, benefits from a delicate, arpeggiated style. Vedder tries to replicate the ballad’s success on other tracks, but the gruffness of his voice then clashes too much with the fragile ukulele sound.

The greatest achievement of “Ukulele Songs” is reminding listeners that instrumentation and arrangement really matter. Maybe some of these songs will end up being performed by Pearl Jam, or at least in some form that doesn’t involve a solo ukulele.