Pearl Jam – “Can’t Deny Me”
The veteran rock warriors Pearl Jam are back at it. A few days ago, Pearl Jam shared a new single called “Can’t Deny Me” with members of their Ten Club fan club. Fan clubs might not play the crucial role in rock fandom that they once did, but it’s cool to see a band on Pearl Jam’s level still willing to share exclusives with their biggest fans. But after a few days of exclusivity, Pearl Jam have now allowed the rest of the world to hear “Can’t Deny Me,” as well.
“Can’t Deny Me,” produced with Brendan O’Brien, is vintage Pearl Jam — a scraggly rocker with a big riff and an impassioned, edge-of-breaking vocal performance from Eddie Vedder. The lyrics aren’t explicitly political, but they do say general things about the people currently in charge of the United States: “You plant your lying seeds / Watch as the roots take hold / The country you are now poisoning / Condition critical.” If you asked the band, I doubt they’d deny that this is their stab at a Trump-era anthem.
It’s now been a few years since Pearl Jam came out with an album; they released their last one, Lightning Bolt, back in 2013. The band has confirmed “Can’t Deny Me” is our first taste of the next one. Listen to it below.
“Can’t Deny Me” is out now on Monkeywrench.