Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[Tj]

i like the majority of these songs (supersonic and big wave the exceptions but mike’s playing at the end is awesome at least). but porch and grievance are the only ones that feel important. even blood and satan’s bed feel like minor songs on major albums

Knowing how much you love Lightning Bolt, how do you feel about Swallowed Whole? I truly wish we could have heard a version of that done with a different producer, because this REMish sound could really go places.

Same. I think the bones of an incredible song are there, and there are parts that work really well for me (the quieter parts, the gentle bridge, and the outro). It suffers from Lightning Bolts antiseptic production which makes the song feel chained down when it needs to have a wide open sound, and it suffers from the challenge that faces most of the mid tempo anthems on Backspacer and Lightning Bolt - they don't feel expansive and limitless in the way that the best pearl jam stuff does, and doesn't draw the necessary contrast with the setup in the verses. Unthought Known, Amongst the Waves, Sirens, and Infallible all have the same issue.

Since you earlier included Never Destination in a shared category of songs, do you think ND benefits from having a different set of production values?

Maybe unrelated, but I love ND.
I believe the one thing that keeps ND from being great, is the cramming of words where they don't fit.
From the very start, could've gelled better with something simpler like:

♫ Blisters it's on my fingers,.. Blisters it's on my brain ♫

This one is a song that i dont need to hear it alone, and i kinda forget it exist when i listen to the album, but its a very cool surprise once it appears.

I really like how the guitars sound, specially in the bridge.

I have no memory of it gonna listen now.

[Tj]

Should have went for the coda after the solo around 216 then just ended it there.

[DDWJMUVW]

I don’t know. ND seems like one of those tracks Ed brought in and it was 90% “there” and the guys just played along with it but did not really add or amend much.

Those kinds of tracks are usually the weakest in the modern era PJ. ND is very forgettable and indeed surpassed by every other “rocker” on gig - by a mile IMO.

[dimejinky99]

Motion for pj to stop doing embarrassing’punk’ numbers and just do big heavy rockers like quick escape and dark matter

All in favour say aye

Aye


Motion passed.

[Ms Harmless]

I don't think ND deserves nearly as much shit as it's getting in this thread, but I agree with you Dime that it's not my favourite subgenre of PJ song, by a long way

[Leatherhead]

ND is great guys.

[Ms Harmless]

it is

[guitar_davey]

I don't think ND deserves nearly as much shit as it's getting in this thread, but I agree with you Dime that it's not my favourite subgenre of PJ song, by a long way

I'm kind of surprised this song isn't loved more. Of all their "punky rockers," (mileage may vary on that subgenre for certain people), I think this is one of the best. Love it live too.

[Ms Harmless]

I don't think ND deserves nearly as much shit as it's getting in this thread, but I agree with you Dime that it's not my favourite subgenre of PJ song, by a long way

I'm kind of surprised this song isn't loved more. Of all their "punky rockers," (mileage may vary on that subgenre for certain people), I think this is one of the best. Love it live too.

yeah, I think their two attempts at this type of song on Gigaton are their best since Green Disease and Get Right

[Monkey_Driven]

I don't think ND deserves nearly as much shit as it's getting in this thread, but I agree with you Dime that it's not my favourite subgenre of PJ song, by a long way

I'm kind of surprised this song isn't loved more. Of all their "punky rockers," (mileage may vary on that subgenre for certain people), I think this is one of the best. Love it live too.

yeah, I think their two attempts at this type of song on Gigaton are their best since Green Disease and Get Right

I would agree, but still think they should have 30 percent less words.

[Ms Harmless]

I don't think ND deserves nearly as much shit as it's getting in this thread, but I agree with you Dime that it's not my favourite subgenre of PJ song, by a long way

I'm kind of surprised this song isn't loved more. Of all their "punky rockers," (mileage may vary on that subgenre for certain people), I think this is one of the best. Love it live too.

yeah, I think their two attempts at this type of song on Gigaton are their best since Green Disease and Get Right

I would agree, but still think they should have 30 percent less words.

we know there's at least one of these on Dark Matter, let's hope Watt has mentioned this

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Chris_H_2]

the best pearl jam "punky" song is comatose. that is a great song.

i have spoken.

[liebzz]

I don’t think of ND as punky at all. It’s more Americana rock IMO — Tom Petty, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Springsteen, that sort of stuff

I think the closest comparison is MFC, which I think is also in line with this analysis.

[joostone]

For a band that deliberately moved away from certain sounds the repetative writing on Ed's rockers since s/t are really suprising and uninspiring at times. I do like some of those rockers, like SBWM or GSMF. But the Who-like powerchords are there everytime. It's no where near something like Grievance. Or his classics like Porch or RVM.

Worldwide suicide
Severed Hand
Off the Earth
Gonna see my Friend
Getaway
Swallowed Whole
Who Ever Said
Superblood Wolfmoon
Never Destination

There's a reason why I think Dark Matter is on par with Life Wasted and better than most of above songs.. It's not written by Ed...

[Ms Harmless]

so do we know if it's a Matt song yet? wouldn't surprise me at all

[liebzz]

On at least some of those though, the song transitions from that immediate power chord into something more interesting, I think. He does write a similar kind of rocker often, but I think if they are contained in an album with more interesting side journeys, they become the glue that makes it Pearl Jam. Binaural is a hopefully decent example. Breakerfall opens the album in a way that does not portend the rest of the album, but serves as a reminder of what centers their sound, and provides a safe space for the Grievances, Of the Girls, and Nothing As It Seems of the album.

The problem with an album more like Lightning Bolt is there’s very little break from that Ed style writing, no venturing out that brings the character and.value from repeat listens. And even when they seem like they might venture out on Infallible, it all calls right back to that immediate style in the chorus.

[McParadigm]

That’s a good post

[stip]

seconded

[digster]

I think Ed's writing is one thing, but I think they'd benefit if he just didn't play guitar on some of the songs he brought in. Sometimes he brings in a song where all three guitars are utilized well (Insignificance, Grievance, I'd argue WWS), but on others he just takes up so much sonic space doing something that isn't as interesting. Unthought Known is a good example; if Ed wasn't just playing big, messy open chords as much as he could throughout the whole song, there might be some room for some cool sonics from the guitars. As it is, Stone or Mike may feel like they can't add much without it turning into mush. I do get if Ed wrote it, he wants to play on it, but it might open things up a bit more.