Pearl Jam
Dark Matter
Whoa! Did we miss this one? I can’t imagine! I saw this record on my shelf and was sure we had reviewed it, but I can’t find it in the archives! Is it there and I missed it? Did we never review it? Does this mean I might re-review it? Possibly! Much to your enjoyment and my enjoyment (because I enjoy reviewing good records).
Yeah, it’s a shame because this is a damn fine record. Pearl Jam is much in the news today for all the wrong reasons. People are, AGAIN, interested in the name and whether it’s a sexual reference or not. Zoey Kravitz considers herself an expert in this subject and if the nepo baby is suddenly interested in something, we should all play along.
But, Pearl Jam should be in the news for different, much better reasons, and that’s because so many years into their career, they can still make great records. And Dark Matter is certainly great. I think their golden era is the Vitalogy-Yield era, when I personally think they were at the peak of their popularity. I might even lump Live on Two Legs in there. Who would think Do The Evolution would take off like it did. Perhaps MTV is to thank…
Dark Matter has all the elements you want from a great Pearl Jam record and plays its cards right by focusing on the power of the band. The sound is tremendous and loud. The rocking songs ROCK (like React, Respond and Something Special), and even the slower ballads (like Got to Give and Waiting for Stevie) are catchy enough to stay with you long after the album has left your playlist. My only gripe with it is that there is a lot of momentum to this album that I wish was harnessed. It’s ready to take off only to hit the ground again. Would it kill the band and producer to make a straight up rocking record that focused on the faster songs? There’s so much spunk left in this old dog, you know?
Anyway, Pearl Jam has always been a celebrator of vinyl and know how to put a package together. This one is high quality of course in a beautiful gatefold with a presence to behold.
Dark Matter is a wonderful and hopeful listen. It deservedly refocuses our attention on this band and, I for one, look forward to what they have in store next!
