Wash down the "seeds of arrogance" with a drink from the "bottle of denial" and brace yourselves for Pearl Jam's new album. It's aimed at the head as much as the gut.

No one can craft a cryptic metaphor like Eddie Vedder. Binaural, a fascinating, multi-textured collection that ranges from hard-driving grunge to mellow country-ish ballads, is riddled with vivid lines that lurk just on the edge of meaning.

In stores Tuesday, this album offers a lot to think about. One of the most haunting songs is also one of the simplest: Soon Forget, a short tale of the perils of materialism rendered with only voice and what sounds like a ukulele. Light Years, with its sombre, sinister melody, ponders the existence of God Himself, while the even more sombre Nothing As It Seems drops references to heroin and Down's Syndrome. To what meaning, I'm not sure. The rootsy Thin Air is as close to a gooey love song as Pearl Jam's going to get.

This band is not known for happy music and it does not disappoint here, with Vedder continuing to plumb the depths of a surprisingly deep well of angst. Hey, you don't mess with success. There are, however, enough raging rockers to disprove the notion the band has gone soft. Tracks like the opening blast of Breakerfall make that abundantly clear. As with all Pearl Jam, Binaural may take a couple of spins to reveal its treasures. It's no brilliant departure, but strong enough to keep the band interesting.

Track Listing 1.Breakerfall
  02.Gods' Dice
  03.Evacuation
  04.Light Years
  05.Nothing As It Seems
  06.Thin Air
  07.Insignificance
  08.Of The Girl
  09.Grievance
  10.Rival
  11.Sleight Of Hand
  12.Soon Forget
  13.Parting Ways