Lets Actually Listen to the Album: Lightning Bolt

[Jorge]

The music during the verses is SO COOL. Like that could've gone a million different and more interesting places. But as soon as the pre-chorus comes in, it all goes to shit. And it becomes such a slog, too.

[Jorge]

Third second chance. Shut up.

[Kevin Davis]

Some weird vocal effect going on during the "I studied your face" line.

I think that's just 2013 Eddie trying to sing falsetto.

It's double tracked, though, right?

Probably. Or triple, or quadruple. It's Brendan O'Brien.

[Jorge]

How can anyone say this is a good vocal performance? Look how much he's struggling. And this is a studio take.

Cool musical moment during the "solo".

[Jorge]

"Time we best begin, here at the ending" is a nice moment. I will concede that. But other than that, I think this is a real low point in PJ's recording career.

[Jorge]

"Pendulum" now. Weird how much hiss there is during the opening of this song.

[Jorge]

I thought the lyrics were "to enthrall the pendulum throws".

[Jorge]

I know this is just 'cause I listened to a lot of The Cure growing up, but the song this reminds me most of is "Siamese Twins" from Pornography. Except that song is a lot better.

[mastaflatch]

I thought the lyrics were "to enthrall the pendulum throws".

[Jorge]

HEEZY LEFT ME A LONG TIME AGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Jorge]

This song is very dark and moody.

[Jorge]

much dark. such moody. wow.

[digster]

As an aside, can one 'throw' a pendulum? Much less throw it to and fro.

[Jorge]

There's really not a whole lot to it. I mean, Jeff's circular bass line is kind of nice. People comparing it to "Sleight of Hand" or "Of the Girl" are off their rocker.

[Jorge]

Like Jeff's solo albums, that song came and went with zero impact.

[Jorge]

"Swallowed Whole". I like this song a lot, and I kinda get why people compare it to Into the Wild-- I mean, it has an acoustic guitar base, and it's very arpeggi-y, and it's about nature and the world and shit, but... to me, this is a better song than just about anything on that album, if only for the fact that it feels like a fully realized song, not just a vignette subservient to a film scene.

[Jorge]

The bridge is really good. It moves very nicely. I also like the movement of the guitar solo atop the stopstutter drum line. It has some swing to it.

[Jorge]

In fact, that's what I like the most about this song, especially towards the end, how the drums give it this kind of off-kilter feel, like Matt is trying to keep the song grounded. And yeah, this is very much like REM in that regard.

Good song. Make more like these, Pearl Jam.

[Jorge]

On to some terrible crap now.

[Jorge]

When Eddie sings "the pain, the pain" during LTRP it almost sounds like he's singing "THE PEEN, THE PEEN", and that would improve the song drastically for me.