During the editing process, a writer using a typewriter would press the backspace key, rewinding their paper to the start so they could correct any mistakes. On Pearl Jam’s latest album, “Backspacer,” the band sounds as if they’ve edited their work and delivered an impressive final draft. “Backspacer” differs from Pearl Jam’s previous releases. The tracks are shorter, pop-ish, and simplistic, which may divert fans of the “Ten” and “V.S.” albums, but for longtime fans that have stuck with the band through their less commercially successful years, this may be the band’s best effort of the 2000s.

“Ten” certainly defined the grunge band that was Pearl Jam during the ’90s, but the band has since shed the flannel shirts and boots and settled for plain T-shirts and old vinyl LPs. “Backspacer” shows some classic rock inspiration from bands of the ’60s and ’70s such as The Who, The Ramones, and Led Zeppelin. The songs are simple, which may displease those looking for something more eccentric, but they are enjoyable.

The first time listening to the album might just be the worst; $11 spent and you have the feeling that you’ve been robbed by a band that’s put out a record that’s as unpleasant as gum stuck to your shoe for a week. Granted, this album does get better after a few more listens.

The album starts off swinging with “Gonna See My Friend” and “Got Some.” The first track is simply good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll and focuses on drug addiction and resiliency. The fierce drumming in “Got Some” is also a kick in the shins for anyone who ever doubted that Matt Cameron couldn’t live up to his days in Soundgarden.

After 12 minutes of paddling in the turbulent waters of the first four songs, the album temporarily winds down and you can finally lean on your oars. “Just Breathe,” offers some nostalgia for fans of Eddie Vedder’s “Into the Wild” soundtrack and its lyrics incandesce with optimism

The album’s first single and third track, “The Fixer,” an irresistibly catchy tune, also shows some lighter lyrics and seems to tie in best with the album’s title: “When something’s broke/ I want to put a bit of fixing on it/ When something’s bored/ I want to put a little exciting in it.”

This is the first album Brendan O’Brien has produced since “Yield,” which acted as the partition between the band’s older and raunchier style and the more recent mature sound. The album has a very polished sound, which has its negatives, but helps define the secondary instrumentation that would have gone unnoticed in previous albums.

“Backspacer” is a strong effort from a band that’s been together for almost two decades. Unlike some rock bands that rehash their sound repetitively, Pearl Jam isn’t afraid to dip their feet into foreign waters; rather, they cannonball into them.