A vital part of the Alternative Rock scene during the 1990s, Pearl Jam has arguably been the most prolific of any bands from that period in the years to follow. Amusingly enough, initially calling themselves Mookie Blaylock (a name which they used while opening for Alice in Chains in 1991 on the Facelift tour), they signed on to Epic Records, going on to soon becoming known as Pearl Jam. Now nearly 33 years since the defining Ten album debuted in 1991, Pearl Jam has consistently built a legacy to call their own.
In retrospect, few of their contemporaries from the ‘90s era are still active. Yes, Alice in Chains are still going strong, but they had a major hiatus due to Layne Staley’s struggles leading into his death in 2002. Additionally, Nirvana has been disbanded since Kurt Cobain died in 1994, Soundgarden has retired since Chris Cornell’s death in 2017, and many other acts are no longer active as well. Sad when you think about it all, Pearl Jam has managed to keep everything moving forward, and as a result dished out 5 studio albums during the ‘90s, 4 more between 2000 and 2010, 1 loner in the 2010s, before returning in the most recent decade with Gigaton in 2020, before Dark Matter most recently in 2024.
Marking their 12th overall studio album, Dark Matter is an interesting follow up to Gigaton in many respects. For starters, Gigaton had an experimental feeling to much of it which certainly stood out among prior Pearl Jam works. Granted it had been 7 long years since they put out the quite enjoyable Lightning Bolt in 2013, Gigaton was still quite surprising. This in mind, the band opted to change up the sound yet again with Dark Matter. Arriving on April 19th through Republic Records, this time they called on the Grammy Award winning Andrew Watt to handle the production, and the overall feel of the material here is much heavier, but also quite a bit louder. An aspect that might excite some fans to learn, it would still be dishonest to say Dark Matter immediately hooks you in upon a first listen.
Consisting of 11 tracks in total, by and large most are loud, proud, and in-your-face. With this you get a gruffer Eddie Vedder on many songs, and it almost sounds as if it is screaming at times. Not a bad thing, while the overall sonic quality is heavier, the production may come across as a bit too polished and modern for some listener’s tastes. Perhaps a result of being mastered a bit too loudly, the biggest issue you can debate here is a lack of dynamics amidst many cuts; this would include the lead single “Dark Matter,” or “Waiting for Stevie” as well as “Running”… all where much of the guitars, bass, and vocals feel extremely cluttered.
However, offsetting these discussed tracks there are also some real winning ones where the songwriting shines through. This set would include the album standout “Wreckage,” the almost Red Hot Chili Peppers tempo “React, Respond,” “Got To Give,” plus the more lengthy, yet interesting “Setting Sun.” In all, these selections are very well-done and shows you that Pearl Jam still have razor sharp skills as a collective band. This is while other bold moments include the very Pop Rock leaning “Won’t Tell,” along with the slow building “Upper Hand.”
Overall, Dark Matter is a solid effort from Pearl Jam that shows they are still pushing themselves to try new things and see what becomes of it all. As stated, the approach taken to the production may not appeal to all, but if you are someone who enjoys a very modern sounding record, these discrepancies may not be all too noticeable to your ears. Everything considered, in the end Cryptic Rock gives Dark Matter 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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