Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[DDWJMUVW]

im sure I'll be a pariah for this, but I am still spinning the record 2x a day (if not more) and loving every second.

I was beginning to drop off before Wrigley 2 and Balt, and that spooled me right back up.

I now think ed's comment at the troubadour ("It's our best work yet, no hyperbole") was not too far off. I'm coming around to the idea that this is the strongest single collection of songs outside of ten. The SoF-Waiting run is as quality as anything they've done. Outside of Something Special and Running, which are still good tracks, they're all 5 star songs for me.

I still cannot believe the lightning bolt boys - authors of steaming piles like MyM and Infallible - made this record......just incredible.

I'm sure I'll be a pariah for this, but Infallible is still better than half of Dark Matter... just incredible.

I'm not sure I'd say half, but I do like Infallible more than a few DM songs.

Which ones?

To me LB is, like most of our candidates for elected office, is "non-serious". Both the vocal melodies, and ed's delivery of them on the record, represent a definitive low point in the band's catalog. I will remind folks that this era ushered in the dreaded vowel additions to every other word. MFS and LTRP are the only tracks I can listen to without thinking "wow! is this the same band that gave us ten-ST??".

Infallible may have started out promising, but somewhere along the way it got absolutely demolished. I remember hearing the sound check clip and feeling good about it before the record was released. Within seconds of hearing the intro of the studio version, I realized it had been completely butchered; synth and all.

Just play and part of infallible you like, followed by 2:10 - 2:40 SoF, or the run from 3:13 - 3:35. You'll see. The juxtaposition is just....incredible.

[epilogue]

I stand by my statement that Infallible is the best song the band recorded/released since Riot Act.... until Gigaton came along and changed that.

For me, I'd say React Respond, Upper Hand, Got To Give, and Setting Sun are better than Infallible. I'd also entertain Wreckage and Dark Matter being included in that list.

Everything else is way below, to me.

For context, I'll also add for those that don't already know, that I think LB is a better album than Backspacer, FWTW.

[blueviper]

Infallible appears to work better live than the studio version.

[stip]

My friend Dave who I went to Philly with is making his way through the catalog - he is up to Riot Act, which he is struggling with. He loved Binaural though, and felt that thus far it was the album that Dark Matter most reminded him of

[dimejinky99]

the topic drift in these threads youd swear there was a hurricane blowing through

[DDWJMUVW]

I stand by my statement that Infallible is the best song the band recorded/released since Riot Act.... until Gigaton came along and changed that. And certainly parts of Dark Matter, too.

For me, I'd say React Respond, Upper Hand, Got To Give, and Setting Sun are better than Infallible. I'd also entertain Wreckage and Dark Matter being included in that list.

Everything else is way below, to me.

For context, I'll also add for those that don't already know, that I think LB is a better album than Backspacer, FWTW.

I see, I see. Your commitment to LB is deep - I'll give you that; a minority view to be sure. For me, BS is more enjoyable than LB b/c it almost seems to embrace its playfulness, whereas LB is a confused jumble of spritz, . To be sure, BS has its warts (SoS, Supersonic), but it's high points are still in keeping with the quality ii've come to expect all these years (FoN, Just Breathe, ATW).

But hey, to each their own. I'm glad you find something to love about that record. Maybe one day I will too. In the meantime, DM is giving me all the dopamine I can handle!

[daft twat]

Infallible is easily my favorite LB song. I only like half the songs on that album. Force of Nature is my favorite Backspacer song. I like most of that album just fine. Dark Matter is my 4th favorite PJ record behind the first three. I love every song except Wreckage, which I only just sort of tolerate. Honestly, someone here ruined it for me by saying “combing through the wreckage” was about Ed’s hair. I can’t think of anything else now.

[epilogue]

I stand by my statement that Infallible is the best song the band recorded/released since Riot Act.... until Gigaton came along and changed that. And certainly parts of Dark Matter, too.

For me, I'd say React Respond, Upper Hand, Got To Give, and Setting Sun are better than Infallible. I'd also entertain Wreckage and Dark Matter being included in that list.

Everything else is way below, to me.

For context, I'll also add for those that don't already know, that I think LB is a better album than Backspacer, FWTW.

I see, I see. Your commitment to LB is deep - I'll give you that; a minority view to be sure. For me, BS is more enjoyable than LB b/c it almost seems to embrace its playfulness, whereas LB is a confused jumble of spritz, . To be sure, BS has its warts (SoS, Supersonic), but it's high points are still in keeping with the quality ii've come to expect all these years (FoN, Just Breathe, ATW).

But hey, to each their own. I'm glad you find something to love about that record. Maybe one day I will too. In the meantime, DM is giving me all the dopamine I can handle!

You get massive points for including ATW in the album's high points! Which is absolutely true and also not a popular opinion around these parts.

Good on you

[Lmdmusic]

https://youtu.be/Uz8xUa3XkdM?si=8OscsVxmG4WDtBT0

Official Video

[guitar_davey]

https://youtu.be/Uz8xUa3XkdM?si=8OscsVxmG4WDtBT0

Official Video

Unavailable in Canada. I presume this is forthcoming?

[VinylGuy]

That version is gooddd ; loved that jam at the end. Mike is on fire

[RockPusher]

Such a great performance of a great song!

[Ms Harmless]

I stand by my statement that Infallible is the best song the band recorded/released since Riot Act.... until Gigaton came along and changed that. And certainly parts of Dark Matter, too.

For me, I'd say React Respond, Upper Hand, Got To Give, and Setting Sun are better than Infallible. I'd also entertain Wreckage and Dark Matter being included in that list.

Everything else is way below, to me.

For context, I'll also add for those that don't already know, that I think LB is a better album than Backspacer, FWTW.

I see, I see. Your commitment to LB is deep - I'll give you that; a minority view to be sure. For me, BS is more enjoyable than LB b/c it almost seems to embrace its playfulness, whereas LB is a confused jumble of spritz, . To be sure, BS has its warts (SoS, Supersonic), but it's high points are still in keeping with the quality ii've come to expect all these years (FoN, Just Breathe, ATW).

But hey, to each their own. I'm glad you find something to love about that record. Maybe one day I will too. In the meantime, DM is giving me all the dopamine I can handle!

SOS could be the best song on BS imo

[Ms Harmless]

yeah that Stevie video is good, the "You can be loved" tag at the end felt archetypally Pearl Jam

[Juvenal]

Hi all! Hope you’re all good.

Just did another drunken listen through and this album is magnificent. I’d type more hyperbolic shite but I’m still bopping around to the early 90s kaleidoscopic optimistic sunlight-shining-through the urban landscape of WFS. It’s the pure PJ of Mike’s guitar around 2:38 of Even Flow, sun-reflected off Breath.

[Juvenal]

Felt drunk might delete later

[stip]

keep it. i gave dark matter a full listen for the first time in a few weeks yesterday. what a triumph

[RockPusher]

Waiting for Stevie is God level PJ.

[RockPusher]

Upper Hand and Setting Sun are at a minimum demigod level PJ

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now