The most effective rule of good storytelling is: Show, don't tell.

By now, anyone not living under a mountain of flannel knows that Pearl Jam is against the war in Iraq and that singer Eddie Vedder has used several songs to become one of the most strident critics of President George W. Bush. He did it on the band's last album, "Riot Act" (Epic), and he does it on the band's new "Pearl Jam" (Monkey Wrench/J) album.

PC Richard & Sons
The first single, "World Wide Suicide," puts it plainly. "Medals on a wooden mantle next to a handsome face that the president took for granted," Vedder sings over a punked-up, raucous rocker. "Writing checks that others pay."

"Marker in the Sand," driven by more fiery guitar riffs, is even more straightforward, as Vedder sings, "Those misguided, there was a plan for them to be/Now you got both sides claiming killing in God's name/ But God is nowhere to be found, conveniently ... God, what do you say?" He walks off singing, "I'm calling you out."

As strong a case as Vedder makes in those songs, his argument is far more powerful when he tries to document the lives of those on the homefront. "Army Reserve," a story of a mother trying to keep her family together while her husband is off at war, oozes desperation, as Stone Gossard and Mike McCready's criss-crossing guitars untangle into scorching solos that fade away. "Unemployable" sounds equally at-rope's-end, with the upbeat "uh-oh-ohs" sounding kind of deranged for a narrator who has no way of making ends meet.

A '60s soul feel, similar to the band's unlikely remake hit "Last Kiss," makes "Come Back" even more heartbreaking, as Vedder plaintively begs for the return of a loved one or a simpler, pre-war time.

At least he doesn't have to worry about Pearl Jam losing the fire it had during its early hits like "Even Flow" and "Jeremy." "Pearl Jam" shows that the fire came back a while ago.

("Pearl Jam," in stores today; grade: B+)