Thirty three years since Pearl Jam broke out onto the music scene with masterpiece album Ten, the band has produced a new album of incredibly high quality—a feat die-hard fans like myself didn’t expect. This new album Dark Matter is a masterpiece in its own right, as this no-skip record goes top to bottom with eleven quality songs without a single weak track. Pearl Jam’s frontman and Rock n’ Roll legend Eddie Vedder promised the album to be the band’s “best work,” and not a second of Dark Matter disappointed.
The Seattle grunge scene of the early 1990s originally had four bands, each with a unique and influential singer: Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder. Vedder is the lone survivor in 2024: He remains on this Earth continuing to grace our ears with inspiring music after escaping the threats of drugs, alcohol, and depression in the daunting path of a rock superstar.
The studio album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, following Dark Matter’s eponymous lead single hitting number one on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. It’s the first time they’ve reached the summit since 1998. Rock, the best genre in music (no bias there), has multiple categories in Billboard, and PJ is crushing all competition: #1 in Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and Top Hard Rock Albums. Total domination of the industry…with the band members all around sixty years old. Now, I don’t know if that is a bad sign for the rock industry or just a testament to their greatness, but either way, their dominance right now is quite impressive. Pearl Jam’s current success is indeed warranted considering the perfection that is Dark Matter.
On that note, the album starts with a growing ambience into what sounds like a pool ball being hit. The opening track then gets going with a solid Pearl Jam-y riff alongside some sweet Matt Cameron drumming. “Scared of Fear” starts the record off with rockin’ energy, including a bridge which builds some intense tension to be resolved in a satisfying finish.
One might have thought the Red Hot Chili Peppers had entered the studio on “React, Respond” with a sick opening bass line, but no, that’s Jeff Ament laying it down like a beast. Vedder’s singing style mimics some of his sound from PJ’s previous record, Gigaton. The pre-chorus is composed of spatial sounds layered with Vedder’s soothing voice, leading up to an explosive chorus. The simple yet powerful chorus is a more mature version of everyone’s favorite Kindergarten message as the line goes “When what you get is what you don’t want, don’t react, respond.”
The album shifts in tone while slowing down the tempo in one of the record’s top tracks (and third single) “Wreckage.” The song is beautifully reminiscent of the signature Tom Petty sound, driven by the pleasant strumming of Mike McCready. The lyrics of “Wreckage,” as Vedder revealed to the public, criticize former President and current convicted felon Donald Trump’s desperation within his inability to move forward and accept defeat.
After “combing through the wreckage,” we are then struck by the heavy-hitter that is the title track “Dark Matter,” slotting in as the cleanup at number four. The song climbed to the top of every possible rock chart, dominating both radio as well as National Hockey League stations. The studio created a raw, angry sound for the song, with the guitar rhythm sure to generate some serious headbanging in most listeners. I can easily picture everyone in Madison Square Garden getting on their feet for this rocker during their world tour.
The album brings on another new sound with “Won’t Tell,” a tune I feel that could’ve been a hit on the radio in the 90s with a catchy, melodious chorus. If you hear the outro and mistake it for U2, I wouldn’t blame you.
It takes about one minute and thirty seconds for “Upper Hand” to get going, but if you make it there, you’ll enjoy a quality, slow-tempo tune that develops along Vedder’s powerful vocals and picks up a bit to finish with a beautiful McCready solo. Pearl Jam’s legendary lead guitarist displays some brilliant variety here.
The album’s seventh track “Waiting for Stevie” is about the power of music and musicians. The name comes from an instance of Vedder waiting to record a song with Stevie Wonder. The song also happens to be one of Howard Stern’s favorites on the record. “Waiting for Stevie” is backed by strong performances from, you guessed it, Vedder and McCready, and the latter of those two steals the spotlight at 3:35 when breaking out into an epic guitar solo. I feel it’s some of his best shredding since the 90s. Producer Andrew Watt expressed that he wouldn’t let the song finish until McCready opened his eyes after losing himself in the music.
“Running” ends a streak of more ballad-type songs, coming in with some serious punk energy. Vedder, McCready, Stone Gossard, Ament, and Cameron come together for a fast-paced, two-minute jam session with some 1994 “Spin the Black Circle” vibes.
Vedder then sings a simple ode to his daughters in “Something Special”, with another change of pace in some lighthearted, relaxed guitar.
As the album winds down, you feel the serious influence of The Who in the medium-tempo, hidden gem “Got to Give.”
In “Setting Sun,” Vedder flexes some vocal muscles by bringing it down way low, as the world’s greatest “jam band” finishes strong with a powerful track. The album’s closer is filled to the brim with emotion under sorrowful lyrics, yet leaves with a sentiment of hope at the end, with the lyrics “let us not fade.”
With quality music being somewhat rare these days, a masterpiece like Dark Matter should be celebrated and cherished. If you’re an older Pearl Jam fan (everyone who understood the references I made in this review, I’m talking to you), soak in every bit of this album. Sit back, plug in your earbuds, and appreciate the work of a legendary band who proved their great legacy isn’t over quite yet.
P.S. The album was released on April 19th, the same day Travis Kelce’s girlfriend released her latest record. If you’re a Swiftie reading this article and were a little underwhelmed with The Tortured Poets Department, I highly recommend giving Pearl Jam’s latest album a listen to refresh your musical palette.