 The album begins with a number of up @-@ tempo songs before expanding to a variety of tempos for its second half . Vedder attributed the faster and more aggressive songs to the band writing a lot of material that kept getting pared down , with the band leaving behind mid @-@ tempo songs , while Ament suggested that it was because of the band balancing recording and touring which resulted in " physicality ... from being out on the road . " The band attempted to create an environment in which McCready and drummer Matt Cameron could play much as they do live . Ament said that there was " a lot of honing of the guitars and vocals in the middle and toward the end , " which resulted in the album sounding " more polished . " On the overall feeling of the album , Ament said , " The band playing in a room — that came across . There 's a kind of immediacy to the record , and that 's what we were going for . " 
