{"id":12724,"date":"2024-05-07T12:52:22","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T16:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/?p=12724"},"modified":"2024-08-28T08:23:37","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T12:23:37","slug":"dark-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/2024\/05\/07\/dark-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Dark Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are nearly three weeks out from the release of Pearl Jam\u2019s Dark Matter<\/em>. As an OG PJ head, I should probably do a review. Especially since I\u2019ve been listening to it daily over that entire stretch.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

\"title\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That last sentence could be the entire review. For the first time since 2006\u2019s self-titled album, a Pearl Jam disk has stuck with me for more than just the few days after its release. As much as the band has meant to me over the past 30+ years, I haven\u2019t had much patience for their post\u20132006 albums. They each featured one or two songs I liked but little about the entire works made me want to play them on repeat.<\/p>\n

That is very different with Dark Matter<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In his review, Steven Hyden made a great point. For a band that is, arguably, the best live group in the business, their recent albums have lacked the spark and sense of fun and community that characterizes their concerts. It wasn\u2019t just that the songs weren\u2019t as good as the ones from their Nineties heyday. It also seemed like the band was trying too hard to force too many ideas into each one, and that weight kept the albums from being very engaging.<\/p>\n

Producer Andrew Watt fixed that, though. He produced Eddie Vedder\u2019s 2022 solo album, a collection of songs that was shockingly good and enjoyable. While recording, Vedder realized he had tapped into something special, and invited his PJ bandmates into the studio to catch the vibe. When it came time to record their next album, they agreed to bring Watt in for assistance.<\/p>\n

Watt kept them on a tight schedule. He wanted to capture that spirit of the live shows. Instead of taking months or even years to make the album, as has been the case over the past decade, he and the band cranked out Dark Matter<\/em> in just three weeks.<\/p>\n

Even if the songs weren\u2019t good, you hear that kinetic force throughout the album, setting it apart from their last three disks.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the thing, though. There are a lot of really good songs on Dark Matter<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve already shared my love for \u201cWreckage\u201d and \u201cWaiting For Stevie\u201d in recent Friday Playlists. Those are two of the best songs they\u2019ve ever done, let alone in the back half of their career.<\/p>\n

Lead single \u201cDark Matter\u201d was the rare \u201cold band trying to prove they can still rock\u201d track that actually worked.<\/p>\n

Opener \u201cScared of Fear,\u201d while ostensibly about someone who is drifting away because of addiction or maybe just indifference, features a chorus that is a perfect statement for a band full of guys who are nearing 60 but once defined a generation:<\/p>\n

We used to laugh, we used to sing
\nWe used to dance, we had our own theme<\/p>\n

We used to laugh, we used to sing
\nWe used to dance, we used to believe<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The chorus is anchored by a classic Jeff Ament pop-punk bass riff, with Stone Gossard roaring in to match him.<\/p>\n

Matt Cameron\u2019s drumming sounds better than it\u2019s ever sounded.[2]<\/a> Mike McCready\u2019s solos remind you of all the great ones from the hits, without being derivative.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve watched a lot of Curb Your Enthusiasm<\/em> over the past few months, and I can\u2019t help but channel Leon Black<\/a> when describing the music on Dark Matter<\/em>: these cats are locked the fuck in.<\/p>\n

Eddie Vedder sounds great, too. The best he\u2019s sounded in years. His songs are a little more universal than they used to be, which means a critical reading of his lyrics shows they may not match his best from the first few albums. But they work. And his voice and music more than make up for any lyrical flaws.<\/p>\n

\u201cGot To Give\u201d and \u201cWon\u2019t Tell\u201d are poppy tracks refined enough they would likely be big radio hits if rock music still had a home on radio.<\/p>\n

The album ends with \u201cSetting Sun,\u201d a track that begins as a gentle, fireside ballad and grows into a soaring affirmation of life and loyalty to each other.<\/p>\n

I love thinking about last tracks from the perspective of \u201cIf this was the band\u2019s last album, how would this hold up?\u201d Thinking, mostly, of the close of Abbey Road<\/em> with its melody that leads up to \u201cThe End.\u201d That was quite a way to go out.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think Pearl Jam is going anywhere any time soon. But were this to be their final album, \u201cSetting Sun\u201d would be a fitting way to say goodbye, especially with Eddie repeating \u201cLet us not fade\u2026\u201d as the song ends.<\/p>\n

From start-to-finish the band sounds as energized and connected as they have in years. Or, more properly, as energized and connected in the studio<\/em> as they have for years. Watt got them to relax and stop worrying about Making Statements with their songs and, instead, just discover some good grooves and melodies and turn those into great songs.<\/p>\n

Dark Matter<\/em> won\u2019t have the cultural impact of Pearl Jam\u2019s first three albums, nor will it sell as many copies. But it is their most accessible and satisfying album of the 2000s. It is an album made to satisfy both the long time fans who followed them through the many twists and turns of their career and also those who stopped paying attention around Vitalogy<\/a><\/em> and have longed for good songs that rock and hit you in the heart since 1994.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n
    \n
  1. According to Last.fm<\/a>, I\u2019m approaching 200 Pearl Jam tracks listened to over that span. Some of those are legacy tracks Spotify is spitting at me, but most are from Dark Matter<\/em>. \u00a0\u21a9<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Not a drumming expert, but I\u2019ve always found his style to be a little clinical and sterile. This is the first time since he joined Pearl Jam that he feels massive and on the verge of being unhinged. Which is a very good thing. \u00a0\u21a9<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. I have a buddy who is far more into heavier rock that I ever have been. He loved the first two PJ albums but never had time for their politics or their various artistic diversions over the years. Out of the blue he texted me over the weekend with this: \u201cNew Pearl Jam is pretty good.\u201d \u00a0\u21a9<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    We are nearly three weeks out from the release of Pearl Jam\u2019s Dark Matter. As an OG PJ head, I should probably do a review. Especially since I\u2019ve been listening to it daily over that entire stretch.[1] That last sentence could be the entire review. For the first time since 2006\u2019s self-titled album, a Pearl Jam disk has stuck with me for more than just the few days after its release. As much as the band has meant to me over the past 30+ years, I haven\u2019t had much patience for their post\u20132006 albums. They each featured one or two songs I liked but little about the entire works made me want to play them on repeat. That is very different with Dark Matter. In his review, Steven Hyden made a great point. For a band that is, arguably, the best live group in the business, their recent albums have lacked the spark and sense of fun and community that characterizes their concerts. It wasn\u2019t just that the songs weren\u2019t as good as the ones from their Nineties heyday. It also seemed like the band was trying too hard to force too many ideas into each one, and that weight kept the albums from being very engaging. Producer Andrew Watt fixed that, though. He produced Eddie Vedder\u2019s 2022 solo album, a collection of songs that was shockingly good and enjoyable. While recording, Vedder realized he had tapped into something special, and invited his PJ bandmates into the studio to catch the vibe. When it came time to record their next album, they agreed to bring Watt in for assistance. Watt kept them on a tight schedule. He wanted to capture that spirit of the live shows. Instead of taking months or even years to make the album, as has been the case over the past decade, he and the band cranked out Dark Matter in just three weeks. Even if the songs weren\u2019t good, you hear that kinetic force throughout the album, setting it apart from their last three disks. That\u2019s the thing, though. There are a lot of really good songs on Dark Matter. I\u2019ve already shared my love for \u201cWreckage\u201d and \u201cWaiting For Stevie\u201d in recent Friday Playlists. Those are two of the best songs they\u2019ve ever done, let alone in the back half of their career. Lead single \u201cDark Matter\u201d was the rare \u201cold band trying to prove they can still rock\u201d track that actually worked. Opener \u201cScared of Fear,\u201d while ostensibly about someone who is drifting away because of addiction or maybe just indifference, features a chorus that is a perfect statement for a band full of guys who are nearing 60 but once defined a generation: We used to laugh, we used to sing We used to dance, we had our own theme We used to laugh, we used to sing We used to dance, we used to believe The chorus is anchored by a classic Jeff Ament pop-punk bass riff, with Stone Gossard roaring in to match him. Matt Cameron\u2019s drumming sounds better than it\u2019s ever sounded.[2] Mike McCready\u2019s solos remind you of all the great ones from the hits, without being derivative. I\u2019ve watched a lot of Curb Your Enthusiasm over the past few months, and I can\u2019t help but channel Leon Black when describing the music on Dark Matter: these cats are locked the fuck in. Eddie Vedder sounds great, too. The best he\u2019s sounded in years. His songs are a little more universal than they used to be, which means a critical reading of his lyrics shows they may not match his best from the first few albums. But they work. And his voice and music more than make up for any lyrical flaws. \u201cGot To Give\u201d and \u201cWon\u2019t Tell\u201d are poppy tracks refined enough they would likely be big radio hits if rock music still had a home on radio. The album ends with \u201cSetting Sun,\u201d a track that begins as a gentle, fireside ballad and grows into a soaring affirmation of life and loyalty to each other. I love thinking about last tracks from the perspective of \u201cIf this was the band\u2019s last album, how would this hold up?\u201d Thinking, mostly, of the close of Abbey Road with its melody that leads up to \u201cThe End.\u201d That was quite a way to go out. I don\u2019t think Pearl Jam is going anywhere any time soon. But were this to be their final album, \u201cSetting Sun\u201d would be a fitting way to say goodbye, especially with Eddie repeating \u201cLet us not fade\u2026\u201d as the song ends. From start-to-finish the band sounds as energized and connected as they have in years. Or, more properly, as energized and connected in the studio as they have for years. Watt got them to relax and stop worrying about Making Statements with their songs and, instead, just discover some good grooves and melodies and turn those into great songs. Dark Matter won\u2019t have the cultural impact of Pearl Jam\u2019s first three albums, nor will it sell as many copies. But it is their most accessible and satisfying album of the 2000s. It is an album made to satisfy both the long time fans who followed them through the many twists and turns of their career and also those who stopped paying attention around Vitalogy and have longed for good songs that rock and hit you in the heart since 1994.[3] According to Last.fm, I\u2019m approaching 200 Pearl Jam tracks listened to over that span. Some of those are legacy tracks Spotify is spitting at me, but most are from Dark Matter. \u00a0\u21a9 Not a drumming expert, but I\u2019ve always found his style to be a little clinical and sterile. This is the first time since he joined Pearl Jam that he feels massive and on the verge of being unhinged. Which is a very good thing. \u00a0\u21a9 I have a buddy who is far more into heavier rock that I ever have been. He loved the first two PJ albums but never had time for their politics or their various artistic diversions over the years. Out of the blue he texted me over the weekend with this: \u201cNew Pearl Jam is pretty good.\u201d \u00a0\u21a9<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[9,10,35],"class_list":["post-12724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-music","tag-pearl-jam","tag-review"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12724"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12727,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12724\/revisions\/12727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsnotebook.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}