Review PEARL JAM ‘Dark Matter’

Along with Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam are the only “survivors” of the immense grunge wave that swept over rock and metal in the 90s. This willpower and musical mission deserves some respect, and when a band releases twelve studio albums, it is an enormous achievement, as all of them are commercially extremely successful and have received platinum and gold certifications. I don’t think one needs to look into a crystal ball to predict that “Dark Matter”, the band’s newest offering, will follow the same path to success.

“Dark Matter” grew in a collaborative environment. The band members teamed up with producer Andrew Watt and the place where the magic happened was the Shangri-La Studio in Malibu. “Dark Matter” is a product of creativity and spontaneity, and after three weeks the work was done. That’s focus and it shows how important this record was and is to the band. It’s a real commitment.

The lead single for the album is the title track, and with “Wreckage” and “Running,” the band has launched two more songs, all three of which give a clear idea of what to expect from the album. While the title track is an energetic rocker that reflects Pearl Jam’s trademark mid-paced sound, it is “Running” that brings the punk influences to the surface. The song is a fast and hard-hitting moment on the album. It is a song that shows that the five-piece still has a lot of firepower.

Photo: Danny Clinch (Promotion)

The counterpart to “Running” is called “Wreckage”. The latter is an acoustic rocker that relies heavily on the unique voice of Eddie Vedder. “Wreckage” is a well-crafted song that blossoms immediately, but is also one of those songs that may not stay in your head and ears for too long. It’s professionally made rock music that’s nice to listen to, but also lacks that final wow moment.

The album kicks off with “Scared for Fear”. It’s a melodic and hard rocking song with a calmer middle part, which provides a straightforward start to the album. Darker and more related to the earlier days is “React, Respond”. It’s an angry song, performed with a rebellious heart.

“Won’t Tell” is a smooth rock song before “Upper Hand” starts with a dark and atmospheric intro. It’s as if fog is rolling in from the sea, covering everything in melancholy. However, there is a powerful and underlying level embedded in the song that enriches the chorus part and brings back the old grunge days vibe.

“Something Special” is a calmer and moderately paced song with a bit of a campfire atmosphere, followed by “Got to Give”, which is a good but more standardized Pearl Jam tune.

“Setting Sun” is the final chapter of “Dark Matter” and it is a calm and emotional song with some wistfulness being the basic feeling associated with it.

“Dark Matter” is a strong Pearl Jam album that I didn’t expect to be that good. The first three longplayers remain untouched and yet it is one of the best Pearl Jam albums in their long history. You can feel that it was created with a team effort and that makes “Dark Matter” tight, honest and strong.