It would be absolutely remiss of me to let one of the year’s most eagerly anticipated album releases go straight through to keeper without writing a few words about my impressions. Having gone to the global premiere of Pearl Jam’s new album Dark Matter (their twelfth) on Tuesday in a local cinema and hearing the album twice (hearing it once in the dark and the second time with visualisations on screen with the lyrics) it didn’t bowl me over like I had hoped. Their previous album Gigaton did exactly that so the assumption for me was thinking that would be the case with my initial expectations being so much higher.
A few Pearl Jam aficionados said to be persistent as it is a slow burn and having had it on continuous loop since it came out I can proudly say that I have warmed to the album with the the songs resonating much stronger than when I heard the album in its entirety the other night. Whilst we have been treated to three singles prior to release it is definitely one of those sort of albums better consumed as a whole. What is more obvious on Dark Matter is that it isn’t focused on just one member but the sum of all parts. Mike McCready is allowed to cut loose on guitar, the intensity of Matt Cameron’s drumming and held together by Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar) and Jeff Ament on bass. Eddie Veddder’s influence and presence is undeniable.
On the album time line Dark Mark sits somewhere between Binaural and No Code and this is the band that sets their own narrative recording the album in a new way that hits all the right spots. They continue to experiment with their sound, broadening their palette much the same way that Gigaton did proving they are much more comfortable within themselves and each other with the assistance of super producer Andrew Watts. The high intensity of rockers such as Scared Of Fear and Running reaffirm the band’s pedigree as does the scintillating Waiting For Stevie. The title track is a beast packing plenty of punch and turned up loud is simply spectacular.
The band reveal some new flavours Won’t Tell and Something Special but its the likes of Wreckage and Upper Hand that continue grow which will leave a last impressing (and I’m on my eighth listen). The question to ask now is whether this this is the closest “to that band” we have grown up following and love. I think Pearl Jam have found new light on Dark Matter for sure.
Album Review By Rob Lyon
