Red Mosquito

Music Tribune (Tokyo) Review 92/100: https://www.musictribunetokyo.com/2024/ ... atter.html


Label: Republic/ Universal Music

Release: 2024/04/20

Review


- The brilliant revival of Seattle legends -


Pearl Jam, the great rock band that led the grunge scene in the 90s, has released their long-awaited new album "Dark Matter"is produced by Andrew Watt. Watt is a prolific producer who has worked with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone and Ozzy Osbourne. The band's guitarist, Mike McCready, has revealed that Andrew Watt owes a lot of credit to the new album. "When I was in the studio with him over the past year, he kicked our ass, made us focus, and then played songs in rapid succession," McCready said.

"And Andrew said to us, 'You guys are going to take a long time to make a record, right?' Let's finish this now,'" McCready said, adding that the energy of Pearl Jam's debut was present in the revival, and it was thanks to none other than Andrew. "This album has the energy of the first two albums, and Andrew pushed us to play hard, melodious and thoughtful like we have been doing for many years," McCready added. "Notice Matt Cameron's drumming, the music on this album has the same charm that he was doing at Soundgarden."

In fact, if you listen to the sound of their new album, Dark Matter, you'll find that the powerful hard rock and grunge grunge of the TEN era is back in life. At the same time, dramatic elements are added to the musicality, and a big spectacle hard rock sound like a Hollywood movie is built. The album has the universal appeal of rock music, and Pearl Jam plays it in their style. It's the band's one and only strong sound.

The album's opener, "Scared Of Fear," features an ambient intro reminiscent of the Doom sound and the movie Independence Day, followed by a dry, textured rock 'n' roll sound. Eddie Vader's vocals have the momentum of his debut, and he takes pride in being a skilled bandman. And then there's the melancholy of Soundgarden's Chris Cornell and the power of Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. In the very first song of the album, Pearl Jam asks, "What is grunge? It shows the core concept of "". Sure, the song may contain a message about the social situation of the world today, but Pearl Jam suggests that she bravely confronts the current situation.

Since then, the band has gone beyond grunge to revisit the real thrill of US hard rock. "React, Respond" showcases the band's strengths, with an emphasis on drum dynamics, crunchy guitars, a bassline that creates a thick groove, and Veder's wild, atmospheric vocals. It revives the powerful sound of hard rock. There is not a single cloud in these sounds. On the contrary, it symbolizes that Pearl Jam is an ongoing band. Through their biggest draw, of course, the Seattle sound.

Pearl Jam's rock isn't necessarily focused solely on loudness. This is similar to Chris Cornell's Soundgarden. The follow-up, "Wreckage," develops a rock sound in response to contemporary alternative sounds centered on folk/country. The song is interwoven with retrospective folk music like CSN&Y. Not only that, but the sound of the late 80's on the eve of alternative rock like Guided By Voices is stylishly unfolded. Eddie Vedder's vocals, which are sung in response to the folk-rock sound in the background, seem to have the intention of conveying universal rock. The song has some alternative elements, but it also has the nuances of the hard rock sound of the 80s standard. You should be able to enjoy the standard charm of rock songs.

"Dark Matter" opens with Cameron's dynamic tom spin reminiscent of Metallica's Lars Willich symbolizes that Pearl Jam's sound is not limited to rock, but also has elements of heavy metal. On the title track, Pearl Jam brings back the hard-rocking sound of the "TEN" era, with the help of Andrew Watt's production, to add a modern touch to it. With their jump-up guitar sound from the '90s, plus Matt Cameron's drums that support it, and the synthesizer arrangements, Eddie Vedder asks, "What's the wildest rock song?" Exploring. There's also an element of '90s mixed rock here, with a sideways sound reminiscent of White Zombie. It can be said that he explores the dan Mr./Ms. elements of rock music.

In the middle of the album, the band's most appealing sound stands out. For example, "Won't Tell" represents ballad elements of the grunge genre and recombines them with a sound that still has a modern feel. The song contains emotions that resonate with the crying elements of 80s metal ballads. The follow-up, "Upper Hand," adds electronic elements and uses Vedder's melancholy vocals to write a classic stadium rock song. Once again, it can be seen that this band, just like Foo Fighters, has focused on rock numbers that are popular with the masses, rather than being covered in snobbism. The follow-up, "Wait For Steve," inherits the style of Pearl Jam in the '90s and the songwriting of his ally Chris Cornell and sublimates them into a relatable rock song.

If there's another thing to keep in mind when listening to Dark Matter, it's that Pearl Jam explores an alternative rock somewhere between stoner and grunge on this album. "Running" is reminiscent of the sound of grunge's heyday, before Nivana came along. It also includes the loudness of stoners such as Melvins, Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and the earliest QOTSA. The overall sound is centered around a bass line that is thick and galloping reminiscent of Chris Novoselic's playing. The way they sublimate them into a dynamic rock sound like Green Day is truly brilliant, and almost a feat. The results of Andrew Watt's brilliant production can be seen in this area as well.

While it's true that Pearl Jam's '90s sound appealed to its heaviness, there's one more thing to keep in mind. It's the lyricism and Americana elements found in "Something Special" and, in the case of Pearl Jam, the outsider vibe of bourbon and whiskey, like Metallica's '96 Road. In this song, folk and country elements are once again used to create a wild flavor of American rock.

In particular, the lyrical element is clearly felt in the following track, "Got To Give." In this song, a hard rock ballad that is typical of Pearl Jam is developed with a wild atmosphere. And the latter element of Americana, folk ballad, appears at the climax of the album.

It's unclear if the album's closing track, "Setting Sun," is really a reference to Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. But at the very least, it's not surprising that the song is meant to be a requiem for "Black Hole Sun." I think the first time I was exposed to Pearl Jam's albums was probably in the 2000s. Of course, it was with Green River, Mother Love Bone, and Melvins. It's been a long time since then, but when I think about it now, I feel a certain joy that I was familiar with the music of this band. Great rock album.


92/100

Wait for Steve is my favorite on the new record. they did a great job trimming the fat from that first bloated cut

stip wrote:Wait for Steve is my favorite on the new record. they did a great job trimming the fat from that first bloated cut

I love the flow of this album as well!

Ms Harmless wrote:"a welcome sonic shift from pure nostalgia to experimentation"

How many of these reviewers do you think a) actually listened to dark matter more than once, and b) have listened to any previous Pearl Jam music in the past 5 years?

man, we wrote to Pearl Jam twice asking for a review copy for TSIS. nothing

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pe ... rk-matter/

Pitchfork review is actually out now - 6.4

Blatant plagiarising of Stip's 'miracle' remarks

ridleybradout wrote:https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pe ... rk-matter/

Pitchfork review is actually out now - 6.4

Blatant plagiarising of Stip's 'miracle' remarks

lol. Geezes Christ they have Pearl Jam. They're basically trashing the album the entire time. Surprised they even gave it that high of a ranking considering the review.

Strat wrote:

ridleybradout wrote:https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pe ... rk-matter/

Pitchfork review is actually out now - 6.4

Blatant plagiarising of Stip's 'miracle' remarks

lol. Geezes Christ they have Pearl Jam. They're basically trashing the album the entire time. Surprised they even gave it that high of a ranking considering the review.

For all the silly acid spewed in that joke of a review, this is definitely one of the highest scores they’ve ever given a Pearl Jam album.

The promotional emphasis on these high-octane rockers seems baffling, because the heart of Dark Matter—the songs that remind you what made this band so special in the first place—are the slow-burners. The searching, six-minute “Upper Hand,” in particular, is a centerpiece. After a long, ringing fade-in reminiscent of Joshua Tree-era U2, it blossoms into a bluesy cousin of “Yellow Ledbetter,” and a launchpad for some of McCready’s most soulful soloing to date. It surely ranks among the best Pearl Jam songs this century. “Wreckage” is both world-weary and hopeful, the kind of generous midtempo ballad that could belong to any era of the band’s discography. Its layered tapestry of backing vocals delivers a climax worthy of the arenas they’ll play this summer.

Then there’s “Waiting for Stevie,” which originated when Vedder and Watt were idly waiting for Stevie Wonder to show up and record a part for Vedder’s last solo album. Despite the red herring title (the lyrics seem to be about depression and self-doubt, not Stevie Wonder), the song is a meaty, anthemic rocker of the kind the band has largely shied away from this side of Y2K. It has already become a favorite in the PJ fan community, though its tinny, compressed production gives it an unpleasant sheen and suggests that live versions will be superior.

This part does not sound negative? With something else in the place of Dark Matter and Running this could have been an above 7 score.

You guys hate Pitchfork as much as you think they hate Pearl Jam

Truly hate Pitchfork and everything they stand for.
Aren't they owned by like GQ magazine or Vogue now ? LOL

They'd probably give Sgt. Pepper 3 stars out of 10 if it were released today
Dark Matter is not Sgt. Pepper...but it's certainly not a 6.4 out of 10
Give me a break

6/10 sounds about right to me

6.4 is a reasonable score -- "reliable but not revelatory," as the reviewer says, which I think is what I would expect this album to sound like to someone that isn't highly attuned to the nuances, minor novelties, artistic baby steps, etc., that a band of PJ's vintage displays on a record like this. He goes on to express something like gratitude for the existence of the record even in its imperfections, and has a lot of nice things to say about various tracks along the way. In a couple places he sounds like a dolt, as all music critics are required to on occasion. But it's hardly a takedown piece.

Everything seems amplified through the lens of a fan -- more intense joys, more crushing disappointments, and finding inflated significance in things that to most listeners are just things. But numerically, the guy likes 64% of the record. I imagine there are many records in my collection that I like roughly 64% of, and still think, you know what, that's a pretty damn good record.

fwiw, i don't think the person writing the reviews for pitchfork gets to choose the score. i think that's left to the editorial staff.

i also think it's a pretty fair score.

Numerical scoring is just one of those things that school fucked up for us. We inherit a mindset that says 70% is “average,” and anything below a 60 is a failing grade. I do not think that criticism or review writing should include it.

If you don’t pay any attention to the numerical score at all, it’s a reasonable and positive review.

that was one of the better written reviews for sure. Seems reasonable for non-superfans. It knew its history. It thought Waiting for Stevie was pretty good. I was drawn to these two comments.



This band’s longevity is a wonder. They are unwitting standard-bearers for a long-passed movement. Their inessential albums feel like luxuries in a reality where their peers never got to make an inessential album. On this one, they fall short of reinvention, which also means they are still—improbably, unmistakably—Pearl Jam.


AND

When a veteran artist turns to a young-gun producer for a shot of contemporary savvy, it usually signals a desire to revamp their sound or embrace a new era. Sometimes it works: Jack White brought some bluesy grit to Loretta Lynn’s Van Lear Rose; St. Vincent nudged Sleater-Kinney in a sleeker, icier direction. And sometimes it doesn’t; remember when Danger Mouse tried to steer RHCP into an album of lush space-funk? But generally, at least, a spirit of reinvention animates the proceedings.

Pearl Jam, though, seem to have hired Andrew Watt to help them sound more like… Pearl Jam.

Mike wrote:You guys hate Pitchfork as much as you think they hate Pearl Jam

With legitimate reason. I don't think they've ever given PJ a fair shake, except for their review of Yield, which for some reason was taken down. Even this review of Dark Matter shows a lack of care into what this album is about, particularly when the reviewer interprets the album to be primarily about politics, and misses the point completely about the lyrics. They are not lazily ambiguous, they are carefully crafted to be universally applicable on a personal, familial, and societal level. There is a story here if he cares to hear it.

Kevin Davis wrote:6.4 is a reasonable score -- "reliable but not revelatory," as the reviewer says, which I think is what I would expect this album to sound like to someone that isn't highly attuned to the nuances, minor novelties, artistic baby steps, etc., that a band of PJ's vintage displays on a record like this. He goes on to express something like gratitude for the existence of the record even in its imperfections, and has a lot of nice things to say about various tracks along the way. In a couple places he sounds like a dolt, as all music critics are required to on occasion. But it's hardly a takedown piece.

Everything seems amplified through the lens of a fan -- more intense joys, more crushing disappointments, and finding inflated significance in things that to most listeners are just things. But numerically, the guy likes 64% of the record. I imagine there are many records in my collection that I like roughly 64% of, and still think, you know what, that's a pretty damn good record.

While I am not surprised with the score of this review, it is irksome to see the reviewer sound like a dolt when talking about the lyrics and meaning behind the album, because it suggests he came into it with a vague understanding of Pearl Jam being this 'political statement band' and judges the music and work through that lens.

i'll be honest my biggest disagreement with that review was when they stated that that st vincent's produced sleater-kinney album was a success

Fattie_Vedder wrote:

Kevin Davis wrote:6.4 is a reasonable score -- "reliable but not revelatory," as the reviewer says, which I think is what I would expect this album to sound like to someone that isn't highly attuned to the nuances, minor novelties, artistic baby steps, etc., that a band of PJ's vintage displays on a record like this. He goes on to express something like gratitude for the existence of the record even in its imperfections, and has a lot of nice things to say about various tracks along the way. In a couple places he sounds like a dolt, as all music critics are required to on occasion. But it's hardly a takedown piece.

Everything seems amplified through the lens of a fan -- more intense joys, more crushing disappointments, and finding inflated significance in things that to most listeners are just things. But numerically, the guy likes 64% of the record. I imagine there are many records in my collection that I like roughly 64% of, and still think, you know what, that's a pretty damn good record.

While I am not surprised with the score of this review, it is irksome to see the reviewer sound like a dolt when talking about the lyrics and meaning behind the album, because it suggests he came into it with a vague understanding of Pearl Jam being this 'political statement band' and judges the music and work through that lens.

There is 1 mention of political lyrics in the part about the song "Dark Matter," that's it.