Red Mosquito

Setting Sun (Dark Matter)
Upper Hand (Dark Matter)
Waiting for Stevie (Dark Matter)
React, Respond (Dark Matter)
Seven O'Clock (Gigaton)
Scared of Fear (Dark Matter)
Dance of the Clairvoyants (Gigaton)
Won't Tell (Dark Matter)
Retrograde (Gigaton)
Quick Escape (Gigaton)
Wreckage (Dark Matter)
River Cross (Gigaton)
Buckle Up (Gigaton)
Who Ever Said (Gigaton)
Dark Matter (Dark Matter)
Alright (Gigaton)
Got to Give (Dark Matter)
Comes Then Goes (Gigaton)
Take the Long Way (Gigaton)
Something Special (Dark Matter)
Running (Dark Matter)
Superblood Wolfmoon (Gigaton)
Never Destination (Gigaton)

standard ranker
setting sun (dark matter)
seven o'clock (gigaton)
retrograde (gigaton)
river cross (gigaton)
won't tell (dark matter)
dance of the clairvoyants (gigaton)
scared of fear (dark matter)
alright (gigaton)
waiting for stevie (dark matter)
comes then goes (gigaton)
upper hand (dark matter)
dark matter (dark matter)
something special (dark matter)
superblood wolfmoon (gigaton)
react, respond (dark matter)
running (dark matter)
got to give (dark matter)
never destination (gigaton)
take the long way (gigaton)
buckle up (gigaton)
wreckage (dark matter)
quick escape (gigaton)
who ever said (gigaton)

album scores
dark matter: 137 (average: 12.5)
gigaton: 139 (average: 11.6)

Waiting for Stevie (Dark Matter)
Seven O'Clock (Gigaton)
Upper Hand (Dark Matter)
Setting Sun (Dark Matter)
Who Ever Said (Gigaton)
Dance of the Clairvoyants (Gigaton)
Wreckage (Dark Matter)
Got to Give (Dark Matter)
Won't Tell (Dark Matter)
Retrograde (Gigaton)
Quick Escape (Gigaton)
Comes Then Goes (Gigaton)
Scared of Fear (Dark Matter)
Dark Matter (Dark Matter)
Superblood Wolfmoon (Gigaton)
River Cross (Gigaton)
Something Special (Dark Matter)
Running (Dark Matter)
Alright (Gigaton)
Buckle Up (Gigaton)
Never Destination (Gigaton)
Take the Long Way (Gigaton)
React, Respond (Dark Matter)

*double post

Setting Sun (Dark Matter)
Upper Hand (Dark Matter)
Waiting for Stevie (Dark Matter)
Who Ever Said (Gigaton)
Dance of the Clairvoyants (Gigaton)
React, Respond (Dark Matter)
Got to Give (Dark Matter)
Scared of Fear (Dark Matter)
Wreckage (Dark Matter)
Dark Matter (Dark Matter)
Won't Tell (Dark Matter)
Quick Escape (Gigaton)
Never Destination (Gigaton)
Superblood Wolfmoon (Gigaton)
Seven O'Clock (Gigaton)
Something Special (Dark Matter)
Retrograde (Gigaton)
Alright (Gigaton)
Running (Dark Matter)
River Cross (Gigaton)
Take the Long Way (Gigaton)
Comes Then Goes (Gigaton)
Buckle Up (Gigaton)

Wreckage (Dark Matter)
Dance of the Clairvoyants (Gigaton)
Who Ever Said (Gigaton)
React, Respond (Dark Matter)
Won't Tell (Dark Matter)
Scared of Fear (Dark Matter)
Alright (Gigaton)
Take the Long Way (Gigaton)
Setting Sun (Dark Matter)
Retrograde (Gigaton)
Quick Escape (Gigaton)
River Cross (Gigaton)
Never Destination (Gigaton)
Dark Matter (Dark Matter)
Superblood Wolfmoon (Gigaton)
Running (Dark Matter)
Upper Hand (Dark Matter)
Got to Give (Dark Matter)
Comes Then Goes (Gigaton)
Seven O'Clock (Gigaton)
Something Special (Dark Matter)
Waiting for Stevie (Dark Matter)
Buckle Up (Gigaton)

Funny that Waiting for Stevie came out as my bottom song on Dark Matter, I think that's probably accurate too. Something Special is at least kind of charming.

I think this turned out fairly accurately, given how much I love Gigaton. I am a fan of the new album though. Looking forward to seeing how it changes over the coming days/weeks/months.

Who Ever Said (Gigaton)
Dance of the Clairvoyants (Gigaton)
Alright (Gigaton)
Retrograde (Gigaton)
Scared of Fear (Dark Matter)
Comes Then Goes (Gigaton)
React, Respond (Dark Matter)
Setting Sun (Dark Matter)
Waiting for Stevie (Dark Matter)
Take the Long Way (Gigaton)
River Cross (Gigaton)
Superblood Wolfmoon (Gigaton)
Got to Give (Dark Matter)
Buckle Up (Gigaton)
Quick Escape (Gigaton)
Dark Matter (Dark Matter)
Running (Dark Matter)
Something Special (Dark Matter)
Wreckage (Dark Matter)
Won't Tell (Dark Matter)
Upper Hand (Dark Matter)
Never Destination (Gigaton)
Seven O'Clock (Gigaton)

This feels about right for the early days of DM and I’d imagine a lot of these will change over time. Except for Running - I genuinely feel it’s their worst song on a studio album.

Won't Tell (Dark Matter)
Seven O'Clock (Gigaton)
Who Ever Said (Gigaton)
Waiting for Stevie (Dark Matter)
Wreckage (Dark Matter)
Dance of the Clairvoyants (Gigaton)
Got to Give (Dark Matter)
Upper Hand (Dark Matter)
Quick Escape (Gigaton)
Dark Matter (Dark Matter)
Setting Sun (Dark Matter)
Alright (Gigaton)
React, Respond (Dark Matter)
Never Destination (Gigaton)
Retrograde (Gigaton)
Scared of Fear (Dark Matter)
Superblood Wolfmoon (Gigaton)
Buckle Up (Gigaton)
River Cross (Gigaton)
Comes Then Goes (Gigaton)
Take the Long Way (Gigaton)
Something Special (Dark Matter)
Running (Dark Matter)

Thinking about how we can make parallels comparing albums tracking structure

Who Ever Said x Scared of Fear
Superblood Wolfmoon x React, Respond
Dance of the Clairvoyants x Wreckage
Quick Escape x Dark Matter
Alright x Won't Tell
Seven O'Clock x Upper Hand
Never Destination x Waiting for Steve
Take The Long Way x Running
Bucke Up x Something Special
Come Than Goes x ...
Retrograde x Got to Give
River Cross x Setting Sun

Gigaton 4 x 6 Dark Matter for me with 2 ties

Johnny Turner wrote:Thinking about how we can make parallels comparing albums tracking structure

Who Ever Said x Scared of Fear
Superblood Wolfmoon x React, Respond
Dance of the Clairvoyants x Wreckage
Quick Escape x Dark Matter
Alright x Won't Tell
Seven O'Clock x Upper Hand
Never Destination x Waiting for Steve
Take The Long Way x Running
Bucke Up x Something Special
Come Than Goes x ...
Retrograde x Got to Give
River Cross x Setting Sun

Gigaton 4 x 6 Dark Matter for me with 2 ties

I would compare it similarly, though I would give the edge to Scared of Fear by a hair, and Quick Escape. But, I would also say that while on Gigaton I could no question easily listen through the first 8 songs, that last third still great but only really Retrograde sits as a must hear every time. All 11 Dark Matter songs I mostly need to listen to in order all the way through for the experience.

Who Ever Said x Scared of Fear
Superblood Wolfmoon x React, Respond
Dance of the Clairvoyants x Wreckage
Quick Escape x Dark Matter
Alright x Won't Tell
Seven O'Clock x Upper Hand
Never Destination x Waiting for Steve
Take The Long Way x Running
Buckle Up x Something Special
Come Than Goes x ...
Retrograde x Got to Give
River Cross x Setting Sun

The first three are all very close. Won't Tell to Waiting for Stevie easily smash their Gigaton counterparts, and Setting Sun is light years ahead of River Cross.

The ties could all end up coming down DM's way in the end, but at the moment, a strong middle and 5 star closer are what push DM handily ahead for me.

Who Ever Said x Scared of Fear
Superblood Wolfmoon x React, Respond
Dance of the Clairvoyants x Wreckage
Quick Escape x Dark Matter
Alright x Won't Tell
Seven O'Clock x Upper Hand
Never Destination x Waiting for Steve
Take The Long Way x Running
Buckle Up x Come Than Goes x Something Special
Retrograde x Got to Give
River Cross x Setting Sun

Waiting for Stevie (Dark Matter)
Dance of the Clairvoyants (Gigaton)
Quick Escape (Gigaton)
Comes Then Goes (Gigaton)
Upper Hand (Dark Matter)
Setting Sun (Dark Matter)
Dark Matter (Dark Matter)
Scared of Fear (Dark Matter)
Take the Long Way (Gigaton)
Superblood Wolfmoon (Gigaton)
React, Respond (Dark Matter)
Who Ever Said (Gigaton)
Wreckage (Dark Matter)
Got to Give (Dark Matter)
Never Destination (Gigaton)
River Cross (Gigaton)
Running (Dark Matter)
Seven O'Clock (Gigaton)
Alright (Gigaton)
Won't Tell (Dark Matter)
Something Special (Dark Matter)
Buckle Up (Gigaton)
Retrograde (Gigaton)

Album scores
Dark Matter: 141 (Average: 12.8)
Gigaton: 135 (Average: 11.3)

I worked on this.

I ranked all songs from memory (star rating and full order), and then I listened to the songs in reverse order, from the probable worst, to the probable best.

Whenever a song felt worse or better than its placement, I would change its place. Won’t Tell advanced several places this way.

post your new list, you tease!

Dance of the Clairvoyants
Quick Escape
Upper Hand
Comes Then Goes
Alright
Seven O'Clock
Got To Give
Setting Sun
Wrecked
Waiting For Stevie
Scared of Fear
Dark Matter
Superblood Wolfmoon
Who Ever Said
Won't Tell
React, Respond
Take The Long Way
Buckle Up
Running
River Cross
Retrograde
Never Destination
Something Special

Interesting cluster there. Looks like Gigaton has higher highs and lower lows

Definitely.

Dark Matter is easily the more consistent of the two. But Gigaton is the overall better record.

But this is all way too premature if we're being fair and honest. Dark Matter is still opening up to me.

Gigaton definitely has higher highs for me, though this feels like it would be extremely difficult once you get to the bottom half of the lists. One of PJ's strengths for me is that they're typically able to imbue their average songs with good qualities. Other than maybe Something Special, I'm having trouble finding a song on either these albums (or most of their albums) that I would say is truly, out-and-out bad.

Dance of the Clairvoyants (Gigaton)
Wreckage (Dark Matter)
Upper Hand (Dark Matter)
Comes Then Goes (Gigaton)
Setting Sun (Dark Matter)
Quick Escape (Gigaton)
Scared of Fear (Dark Matter)
Won't Tell (Dark Matter)
Seven O'Clock (Gigaton)
Something Special (Dark Matter)
Buckle Up (Gigaton)
Waiting for Stevie (Dark Matter)
Alright (Gigaton)
Never Destination (Gigaton)
Who Ever Said (Gigaton)
Superblood Wolfmoon (Gigaton)
Got to Give (Dark Matter)
React, Respond (Dark Matter)
Dark Matter (Dark Matter)
River Cross (Gigaton)
Running (Dark Matter)
Take the Long Way (Gigaton)
Retrograde (Gigaton)

Dark Matter: 142 (Average: 12.9)
Gigaton: 134 (Average: 11.2)

*subject to change