Eddie Vedder wrote the bulk of the 'Into The Wild' soundtrack in the space of three days. The whole thing was finished within two weeks.

"It was like I kinda went into some weird space for a week or two, and then I woke up out of this daze, and it was done. I don't really remember it," he said at the time.

The Pearl Jam frontman now brings that same freewheelin' attitude to his day job. And with the backing of producer Brendan O'Brien ? who pushed Springsteen to two albums in two years ? the result is the band's most effortless album ever.

'Backspacer' goes back to the reinvigorated sound of 2006's in-your-face 'Pearl Jam' ? but drops the vigorous flag waving that came with tracks about the war in Iraq, religion and poverty. Nothing here called 'World Wide Suicide', 'Life Wasted' or 'Army Reserve', thanks very much.

No, these 11 punchy, powerful rock 'n roll songs are all about having a good time. "When something's dark/ Lemme shine a little light on it," offers Vedder on feel-good fist-pumper 'The Fixer'; "Get it now / Get it on / Before it's gone / Let's everybody carry on," he advises over 'Got Some's runaway guitars and tumbling rhythm section; and he laughs "I catch a break, then a punch to the head / I smile big with a toothless grin," on the appropriately named surf-punk-rocker 'Supersonic'.

Even the more restrained tidal jam 'Amongst The Waves' ? which at four minutes is one of the longest here ? boasts a refrain of: "I gotta say it now, better loud than too late".

But despite the album's pace, brevity and good-time vibes, it's no hastily produced throwaway. O'Brien, while clearly favouring an impulsive, live-in-the-room recording approach, doesn't let the band slum it. Bassist Jeff Ament and drummer Matt Cameron are especially impressive ? whether they're beating their way through 'Johhny Guitar' or reinterpreting subtle Motown grooves on California-sunshine-ballad 'Speed Of Sound' while Vedder asks: "Why deny this drive inside?"

Why indeed? Embracing that drive has taken his band to a new place ? a better place.