Running

[Ms Harmless]

Stip was correct, Running sounds good followed by Dark Matter; say what you want about the production values, at least there's a consistency here

inb4 someone says "consistently BAD!!!!@#=%%"

[Jorge]

The fact that they literally had Brendan o Brien remix and master self titled to obviously remove the harshness but then went full Tits with this is truly something

No joke, this reminds me of the sound of the latest Blink 182 album. All overblown mush, The sound is much worse on "Running" than "Dark Matter," too. I guess they wanted to make it sound more in-your-face? But it sounds like FM radio

[Mike]

The fact that they literally had Brendan o Brien remix and master self titled to obviously remove the harshness but then went full Tits with this is truly something

No joke, this reminds me of the sound of the latest Blink 182 album. All overblown mush, The sound is much worse on "Running" than "Dark Matter," too. I guess they wanted to make it sound more in-your-face? But it sounds like FM radio

Starting to think Andrew Watt has absolutely no clue what made Pearl Jam good

[lecherouslittlestump]

To the audiophiles, what is your opinion on how Gigaton sounds?

[EBowie]

I'm liking it the more I listen. It's certainly not a top tier song but it doesn't deserve the hate it's getting either.

[stip]

I don’t know. this is a song type pearl jam have tried to pull of multiple times, to fairly limited effect. this feels like their most successful go at it. production values aside, what Watt has captured in both songs we’be heard so far is the energy, open hearted ferocity, and spirit of pearl jam, and in a way that lets Eddie lean into his weathered voice without trying to ignore or push through it.

I love Dark Matter. I like Running. But what i really love is how these songs feel, and cant wait to hear what else is out there


*this was a response to Mike

[C4lukin]

DAHK MATTAH!!!

Now you are just lazily farting your subconscious into the thread.

I really want to participate in the discussion, but I cannot, when this is a thing.

Obsessive trolls are cute for a moment, but they drive people away. Anyone visiting this place for the first time, are going to feel gross. Someone like me who has been around for awhile, is going to be repelled. I don’t get it.

[blueviper]

This song I guess is average?

It has “skip” written all over it

[Mike]

I don’t know. this is a song type pearl jam have tried to pull of multiple times, to fairly limited effect. this feels like their most successful go at it. production values aside, what Watt has captured in both songs we’be heard so far is the energy, open hearted ferocity, and spirit of pearl jam, and in a way that lets Eddie lean into his weathered voice without trying to ignore or push through it.

I love Dark Matter. I like Running. But what i really love is how these songs feel, and cant wait to hear what else is out there


*this was a response to Mike

It's a good possibility that it's ME that does not understand what most Pearl Jam fans love about Pearl Jam. Both Dark Matter and Running are lacking a lot of the qualities that made me fall in love with Pearl Jam. I'm talking about both early Pearl Jam and the middle period. These songs certainly have lots of energy but I'm missing a certain looseness and warmth. Even at their most rocking their songs hat an airiness and effortlessness while both singles so far feel like they are TRYING too hard to rock. I think it's useless to assume too much about the creation of the songs but they both feel like they had the agenda to rock as hard as possible. It's hard for me to put in words.

[Farmer John]

Just listened on Apple Music using Apple's patented Spatial Audio technology.

It's still overblown mush, but the mush has been separated. You can pick out a lot more details, but everything is still so harsh. It seems like they made a conscious effort to crank the levels on this track (compared to Dark Matter at least)

[DDWJMUVW]

I’m beginning to think that some folks who have described these new songs as “too loud” or a “wall of mush” have a vastly different musical background than I. Of course while PJ was the first love, I spent a lot of time in the mid/late 90s and early 2000s listening to east coast punk bands (saves the day, H2O, mxpx, millencolin - Swedish - etc).

You want heavy? Those bands are actually heavy. So to me the new DM songs are not offensive and indeed I’m finding a lot to like bc of what I’ve enjoyed outside of PJ over the last 30 years or so. DM has elements of SG and Running sounds a bit like it could be a Millencolin song from the early 00s, but both retain that PJ feel enough to keep them honest.

I for one, welcome the onslaught. Of course I’ll indulge in the mid tempo tracks as well, but the two songs I’ve heard so far grab me immediately. I cannot say that for half of GIG, almost all of LB, and much of BS. Sonically, there are so many things I’ve picked out and love hearing and that’s huge for my listening enjoyment. Also, I think STIP said this as well but the songs just FEEL good to me.

[Farmer John]

What do people think of Sleater-Kinney's The Woods? I like that album and that is definitely "overblown". Is it "mush", though? Is there a way to do to overblown well?

[stip]

some folks also have hyper sensitive ears, apparently.

I am going to crank running and dark matter in my car. its going to be a great commute

[stip]

What do people think of Sleater-Kinney's The Woods? I like that album and that is definitely "overblown". Is it "mush", though? Is there a way to do to overblown well?

i really struggled with it. having ed sing mostly in these lower registers/lower in the mix helps keep these songs grounded and digestable

[Tj]

I don't mean this in a negative way. I am really into running. The one think that strikes me is it feels like a retooling of a formula that has gotten a bit tired. It sounds fresh . It leans into a different punk influence a little less Ramones a little bit more Motor Head. I can also listen to each Parr and get the why of each players choices and parts. I enjoy how Mike is kind of bouncing around kind of floundering right under the surface. I feel like I am being set up for a Social d style solo the out of nowhere comes a tsunami alarm .

[Fattie_Vedder]

I don’t know. this is a song type pearl jam have tried to pull of multiple times, to fairly limited effect. this feels like their most successful go at it. production values aside, what Watt has captured in both songs we’be heard so far is the energy, open hearted ferocity, and spirit of pearl jam, and in a way that lets Eddie lean into his weathered voice without trying to ignore or push through it.

I love Dark Matter. I like Running. But what i really love is how these songs feel, and cant wait to hear what else is out there


*this was a response to Mike

It's a good possibility that it's ME that does not understand what most Pearl Jam fans love about Pearl Jam. Both Dark Matter and Running are lacking a lot of the qualities that made me fall in love with Pearl Jam. I'm talking about both early Pearl Jam and the middle period. These songs certainly have lots of energy but I'm missing a certain looseness and warmth. Even at their most rocking their songs hat an airiness and effortlessness while both singles so far feel like they are TRYING too hard to rock. I think it's useless to assume too much about the creation of the songs but they both feel like they had the agenda to rock as hard as possible. It's hard for me to put in words.

The weird thing is, I totally agree with you. Yield is my favorite album for the very things you describe, and sonically feels like the antithesis of what Dark Matter will sound like production-wise. But I’m still enjoying these songs. And if the whole album ends up sounding like this, then at least it’s consistent in the loud vibe it’s going for.

I recognize there’s a contradiction in both wanting a more subtle, layered, and nuanced PJ sound while also really digging the energy and even the sound of the new album; maybe because it’s different than anything before. It could be a fun exercise to try and imagine what these songs would sound like produced on different albums. The songs already have plenty of energy in them, they didn’t need Watt to crank the dials up to 11. That’s specifically the part that feels inauthentic to me. The band’s playing and energy does feel authentic and great; the extra push from the production does not. But I still don’t totally hate it, even if I long for what it could sound like based on my frame of reference from what they’ve done before. Honestly it’s a little weird and I still can’t place it.

[Ms Harmless]

this song works for me precisely because it's a wall of noise, and that's exactly what I think this kind of song should be; I remember thinking that "Comatose" wasn't working entirely for me because Ed was giving it some welly but the guitars and drums behind him were far too polite and melodic; it seems that whatever approach they went for on this song is particular to this song, it's a two minute wall of noise

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Ms Harmless]

Stip was correct, Running sounds good followed by Dark Matter; say what you want about the production values, at least there's a consistency here

Virtually every album in the world has consistent production values, that’s exactly what mastering is for

yes thank you Trag, but you did say "virtually", correct? so I can hear when they don't; and I said this because there are two Pearl Jam albums I feel the opposite way about (LB and BS, but particularly LB), and my personal wish for this album is simply that it is more consistent in sound than those two

[Jorge]

I’m beginning to think that some folks who have described these new songs as “too loud” or a “wall of mush” have a vastly different musical background than I. Of course while PJ was the first love, I spent a lot of time in the mid/late 90s and early 2000s listening to east coast punk bands (saves the day, H2O, mxpx, millencolin - Swedish - etc). You want heavy? Those bands are actually heavy. So to me the new DM songs are not offensive

It's not really about the music style, about whether it's "heavy". You mentioned Millencolin. Listen to Pennybridge Pioneers. You can really hear the tone of the guitars, there's colors to it, everything sounds well balanced, nuances in playing really shine through even though the music is aggressive. You can turn the volume up and it sounds good, like you're walking closer towards the band instead of sticking your ear in the PA. With "Running" you turn the volume up and it just sounds like a bunch of white noise, abrasive and indistinct