How do you mark your band's 25th anniversary? That's the question Pearl Jam are currently mulling over. For their fifth anniversary back in 1996, they delivered No Code; on their 20th, we got the Cameron Crowe-directed documentary Pearl Jam Twenty. So what can we expect from Pearl Jam at this milestone?

In a recent interview with PopMatters, bassist Jeff Ament provides some clues. Although he initially deflects the question about a new album. "We don’t have any plans for [Pearl Jam Twenty Five]. And I think largely because Pearl Jam Twenty really does almost feel like it was last year," he said. "Being really proud of what we’ve created as a band and the decisions that we’ve made. That’s the PJ25 answer."

But Ament went on to confess there is something brewing beyond the festival appearances Pearl Jam is slated to headline this summer. According to Ament, the agenda includes "trying to get into the studio and mess around a little bit. That’s always exciting for me. Everybody’s ready for the challenge and everybody’s ready to do something different. Maybe the last couple of records have been trying a different formula. Everybody’s sort of on board with that. It feels like there’s inspiration, like people are inspired right now. That’s exciting.”

So while the question of whether a new Pearl Jam album's release will coincide with the band turning 25 remains open. But if we're reading Ament right, it sounds like a lock that work on that record will at least be commencing this calendar year, so there's always a chance, especially when you consider the increasing prevalence of surprise album releases these days. Don't discount the possibility just yet.

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