Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[Release_Me]

I've had the bluestate recording on repeat and I think it's very listenable as phone recordings go. Honestly, as someone who really liked Gigaton and was thrilled to have it as the soundtrack of the pandemic, I think DM is significantly the better album. I have a sentimental attachment to Gigaton and appreciate how it got me through that time in my life, but DM just has the better songs overall, imo. Of course, I still await a good audio quality listen, but I don't see that changing my mind. I was happy with Gigaton but I'm euphoric after listening to DM.

[guitar_davey]

My local theatre has two showings and I've got a Little League board meeting stuck directly in the middle. Ugh.

[Clem Halibut]

Same.
Going by myself 9:15 this evening once the kids are in bed

Looking forward to hearing this on a big sound system

Hopefully the crying baby will be there during the Segway from WFS into Running
I'm really going to miss that part - it went so well with the beautiful music

Our friends daughter beats the hell out of that revving motorcycle from the door clip

Absolutely!
I'm sure I'll love this little interlude when it comes out
But part of me will always miss that perfect moment when your friends daughter was crying
It really fit the song - Reminded me of that part in The Kids off Lou Reed's Berlin
It was perfectly timed
She really should get a writing credit on this one...LOL

[Strat]

I feel so left out not having heard this

[Hatfield]

Lordy. The waiting. Dying here.

[Val]

Same.
Going by myself 9:15 this evening once the kids are in bed

Looking forward to hearing this on a big sound system

Hopefully the crying baby will be there during the Segway from WFS into Running
I'm really going to miss that part - it went so well with the beautiful music

Our friends daughter beats the hell out of that revving motorcycle from the door clip

Absolutely!
I'm sure I'll love this little interlude when it comes out
But part of me will always miss that perfect moment when your friends daughter was crying
It really fit the song - Reminded me of that part in The Kids off Lou Reed's Berlin
It was perfectly timed
She really should get a writing credit on this one...LOL

I meant our friend as a friend of ours, you know, us being the PJ mob…

Ah, you know what, fuggedaboutit

[Monkey_Driven]

I feel so left out not having heard this

Can we listen to it together?

[Strat]

I feel so left out not having heard this

Can we listen to it together?

yes please! But i may do a thursday night listen when it hits streaming...

[Monkey_Driven]

I feel so left out not having heard this

Can we listen to it together?

yes please! But i may do a thursday night listen when it hits streaming...

I will absolutely be listening at 11 pm CDT when it hits streaming

[EBowie]

Put the crying baby on the next album cover. Like Van Halen's 1984. Maybe minus the cigarette though.

[jdopj]

looks like I will be going to a cinema listening tonight after all! good times

I can’t believe I’m going but I am. Wanted to listen to this in the best way. Haven’t listened to any leaks or snippets.
Have fun!!!

[Strat]

I feel so left out not having heard this

Can we listen to it together?

yes please! But i may do a thursday night listen when it hits streaming...

I will absolutely be listening at 11 pm CDT when it hits streaming

PERFECT!

[Hatfield]

At the end of the day, I'll be going to the movies tonight by myself to have a listen.

It's been so long since I let my freak flag fly, I don't know what my wife will say when I suggest I go hear the new PJ album by myself at a theater tonight.....but I'm gonna do just that!

[Vindicator]

These songs are going to be really good live. I can see Running going directly into something like Not For You for example. Upper Hand is going to be legendary. Waiting For Stevie as well.

[Jaeti]

Lordy. The waiting. Dying here.

Yep. Soon as I sent that post, that popped into and lodged itself in my head.

[DDWJMUVW]

I've had the bluestate recording on repeat and I think it's very listenable as phone recordings go. Honestly, as someone who really liked Gigaton and was thrilled to have it as the soundtrack of the pandemic, I think DM is significantly the better album. I have a sentimental attachment to Gigaton and appreciate how it got me through that time in my life, but DM just has the better songs overall, imo. Of course, I still await a good audio quality listen, but I don't see that changing my mind. I was happy with Gigaton but I'm euphoric after listening to DM.

Though spring 2020 was not a tough time in my life (nothing close to it), I will always associate Gig with the beginning of COVID and the sort of apocalyptic vibe I felt living in a big city at the time. It was truly surreal. Escaping the city on the weekends for the countryside, running in my neighborhood past closed businesses after working from home each day, walking/scootering (ha - lame) the national mall and being one of only a few people out (especially early on), while listening to those tracks, will cement Gigaton's potency in terms of being a very memorable record for me. But with the passage of time, a more balanced assessment of the tracks has bubbled to the surface and there are only a handful I listen to with any regularity.

Here's hoping DM contains more in the way of sustainable quality. Looking forward to my theater experience at 8pm!

[Ms Harmless]

it's just occurred to me that PJ might have done the record store listens to encourage the bootlegs

[Hatfield]

I've had the bluestate recording on repeat and I think it's very listenable as phone recordings go. Honestly, as someone who really liked Gigaton and was thrilled to have it as the soundtrack of the pandemic, I think DM is significantly the better album. I have a sentimental attachment to Gigaton and appreciate how it got me through that time in my life, but DM just has the better songs overall, imo. Of course, I still await a good audio quality listen, but I don't see that changing my mind. I was happy with Gigaton but I'm euphoric after listening to DM.

Though spring 2020 was not a tough time in my life (nothing close to it), I will always associate Gig with the beginning of COVID and the sort of apocalyptic vibe I felt living in a big city at the time. It was truly surreal. Escaping the city on the weekends for the countryside, running in my neighborhood past closed businesses after working from home each day, walking/scootering (ha - lame) the national mall and being one of only a few people out (especially early on), while listening to those tracks, will cement Gigaton's potency in terms of being a very memorable record for me. But with the passage of time, a more balanced assessment of the tracks has bubbled to the surface and there are only a handful I listen to with any regularity.

Here's hoping DM contains more in the way of sustainable quality. Looking forward to my theater experience at 8pm!

What a wonderful connection to that record. What Gigaton songs have maintained their quality for you? Take the Long Way and the last 2 tracks are the only songs I don't reach for.

[Kevin Davis]

With Gigaton and DM and hopefully a few more in the next 5-6 years, '20s pj could be put in conversation with Petty's run in the 90s, specifically the unexpected late career uptick in inspiration. I think even Petty was surprised. Ed's comment about 'best pj ever' hints at surprise too. (I realize '90s Petty was only in his 40s).

It's interesting to me to compare where PJ is now with where other legacy artists were at this same juncture, through the lens of both (a) number of records, and (b) years into their career. Dark Matter is PJ's 12th album, and they are 33 years into their career. For comparison, using the closest available options (forgive me if I've miscounted anywhere):

Spoiler: show

The Rolling Stones:
12th album (using the US catalog): Exile on Main Street, 1972
33 years into career: Bridges to Babylon, 1997

Tom Petty:
12th album: Echo, 1999
33 years into career: Mojo, 2010

Bruce Springsteen:
12th album: The Rising, 2002
33 years into career: Seeger Sessions, 2006

U2:
12th album: No Line on the Horizon, 2009
33 years into career: Songs Of Innocence, 2014

Metallica:
12th album: N/A
33 years into career: Hardwired to Self Destruct, 2016

Neil Young (solo career):
12th album: Hawks and Doves, 1980
33 years into career: Silver and Gold, 2000

The Who:
12th album: WHO, 2019
33 years into career: nothing, completely inactive (1997)

If you look at a lot of these artists, you'll see that they were all on kind of a similar track for the first 15 years, getting through about 8-10 records in that time (the Stones are an anomaly, probably due to the differing release pace of records in the '60's, as well as the fact that their early records contained so many covers). But where artists go after that varies wildly. None of the comparisons really mean anything, but stuff like this interests me.

Overall I'm immensely thankful that PJ are still around and am thankful that the quality of the work still has the potential to be very high. I have my quibbles with some of it but their best stuff is still really, really strong. Very encouraged to read all the positive impressions of the new album, and looking forward to receiving it on Friday to give it a listen.

[Coach]

At the end of the day, I'll be going to the movies tonight by myself to have a listen.

me too, at the end of the day