Dark Matter (song)

[RockPusher]

In an alternate universe, Pearl Jam just recorded Last Exit but with Watt producing with exact same production values. Everyone here loves it, but trag says the same exact thing.

[RockPusher]

I can get with this, mostly. But I've listened to this song dozens of times and my ears have never hurt.

I see this comment, and raise it: I've listened to this song literally right after experiencing my ears complaining from "Angry" by the Stones. This is not at that level of a problem, because my ears relax and I get into it.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[96583UP]

just gives them another reason to sell remasters

ka-ching

[spike]

This song, and watts production, in general is like.....

Having your head shoved into a toilet and youre just trying to survive for 3.5 minutes instead of being let loose in a forest to discover all these beautiful sounds and sights and smells.....

Theres little breathing room and its exhausting after awhile. Its suffocating.

I think the song fucking rules and im not a total pussy like trag, so i can deal with it but i totally get his issues with it. It feels suffocating. That doesnt mean he doesnt like the tremolo effect on the guitar (which very well could jsut be a pedal utilized on their board).

It’s the entire package and the way it’s presented as a whole. Trag knows better but my assumption is it’s so fucking heavily compressed and volumes are cranked across the board that it’s just a bit too much. It’s an onslaught which is exciting at first....

Is it like….. having your head shoved up your own ass?

[Ms Harmless]

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Ello Sailor]

Spike's wife works in renewable energy. I don't think it was a fart-sniffing/own-anus-dwelling move.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[McParadigm]

Spike's wife works in renewable energy. I don't think it was a fart-sniffing/own-anus-dwelling move.

Even worse, she should’ve seen the scam for what it is

You live, you learn. You love, you learn. You cry, you learn. You lose, you learn.

[Ello Sailor]

Lotta hurt in this thread.

[Ello Sailor]

Isn't it ironic?

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Farmer John]

Lotta hurt in this thread.

[Jaeti]

I've heard this song probably around 30 times now, and it still feels fresh. I have an open mind and have tried to objectively analyze whether production values are hurting my experience of it. I can feel that criticism when I listen to Angry by the Stones, so I get it in general and in particular with Watt. Thankfully, there is no such interference happening for me with this track. The music comes thru, and I am happy.

The drumming is groovy and creative
The vocal part is mature and musically sound
The pre-chorus is near damn epic
The solo is peak Mike stuff

So it’s a bit overpolished and the drums sound a bit artificial — big deal!
It’s still a good, solid, hard hitting rock song to make anyone proud

Val is absolutely on point here. But this is still just ~3.5-ish for me.

[Jaeti]

just listened for the first time in a week, and I'm convinced we need a 1.5 star rating. It's definitely better than Can't Deny Me or Sweet Lew... But this production is literally maybe the worst I've ever heard from a major label rock band, at least since 1991 or so. Utterly toothless, and it's making my ears ring at moderate volumes.

As someone who knows shit about production, I completely grok this take. I don't care as much as trag, but I think I get it.

[McParadigm]

Pearl Jam needs to get deep into that 1980’s fat gated reverb sound.

More saxophone too

[tommy]

Pearl Jam needs to get deep into that 1980’s fat gated reverb sound.

More saxophone too

Get them in the studio with Tim Capello

[Jaeti]

Just listened to it in my car again and the enjoyment level hasn’t dropped.
Such a good rock song and the performance is top notch

This has been my experience.

Trag you're currently at 2 or 1?

I'm at a 2.

Only based on production and nothing about the song itself which i think you actually like?

You're a WEIRD GUY ACE

Also this. (I know I'm late to be quoting posts, the discussion has likely moved on, but I've been offline all day.)

[Jaeti]

there's a lot of polished straightforward rock songs out there, and there's also a lot of very live-sounding rock songs but for the drums (a lot of The Cure, or Radiohead, or 1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins, or We're in This Together Now by NIN, or the Big Yellow Taxi cover by Counting Crows)

I'm not really comparing this song to any of those as a whole; I'm just saying that this "slightly false drum sound" is neither a shocking and novel 2024 phenomenon nor a deal-breaking tragedy for yours truly

I've always felt this about 1979 but am not a musician no never fully processed the thought. Cheers.