No Code is the line in the sand. The marker between what Pearl Jam was and what they are now. With three albums as angry young men, the developed a reputation as a visceral live band. With time off from the road during the Ticketmaster battle, Pearl Jam was now confined to the studio. Anger can only go so far when you are sitting in a room by yourself. Pearl Jam took this opportunity to expand and explore new colors, spurned on by the presence of Jack Irons on drums. It is rare when a drummer is such a defining character on an album.

The album was recorded in Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle. Yet it feels like those great records where a band holes up in some country house, shut off from the world. From song number one - "Sometimes" - the band takes its sweet time. Even the harder rocking songs have a level of laid back restraint. Nobody is in a hurry. Just sit back and enjoy the ride as we consider our wounded souls.

The first three Pearl Jam albums were impulsive reactions. Angry moments. Confused moments. Beautiful moments. But No Code feels more considered. There are consequences. Most bands do not reach the point of having to consider consequences. This is most obvious with a song like "Habit." Eddie Vedder decries the '90s drug culture. Kids in the '70s had weed, the '80s had coke, but the '90s had heroin. Drugs were not sexy anymore. But at the other end, he also lightens up. In many respects, No Code is one of the most easy to like and accessible Pearl Jam creations. Songs like "Who You Are" and "Smile" are immediate highlights. "Present Tense" is a prime Pearl Jam slow burner.

The easy mood gave the band room to try new things. As simple of an explanation that is, it is true. What do you do when you have one of the most recognizable vocalists in rock music? I know, let the guitar player sing a song. It works though. Stone Gossard singing "Mankind" is a pleasant diversion when the album starts to lag.

Coming back to that lead singer. That deep-timbered voice, full of gravity, is a remarkable instrument. It has spawned many imitators. They are all bad imitations. As good as he is, Eddie Vedder walks a fine line between emotive and blowhard. The spoken-word verses on "I'm Open" lean towards blowhard. Very few people can do spoken-word well. Even Johnny Cash recorded a few dogs. Vedder remains at his best when he can intone on the slower numbers, or when he just rumbles off incoherently. It is only in recent years that he has expanded into an outstanding vocalist. A lot can be said for his emotion. Much like Johnny Cash, Vedder never needed to do much other than open up and sing.

A Pearl Jam album is a total package. The continued to shun the standard plastic CD case. No Code is a collection of patchwork Polaroid photos that fold out into a single image. The perfect model for the music within. Each song is a single image, pieced together with the others. Jack Irons adds a different color and vibe to Pearl Jam. Much different than the drummers that came before and after. Instead of painting with black and white, the band added yellows and blues. New beats and rythms gave the band a new vibe. Not new in rock and roll, but new for Pearl Jam. They have never been a revolutionary band, just really good at what they do.