Generation Mixtape

Released: April 19, 2024

There’s an understandable temptation to have an immediate opinion the second an album drops. I get it, of course–SEO, clicks, impressions, first-day listeners, blah, blah, blah. Still, initial impressions rarely stand the test of time, especially when discussing a band’s twelfth release. Which brings us to Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter, an album that’s been heralded as the band’s best release since [insert album here]. Of course, said point of reference is typically tethered to one’s preferred era. For most, that means Ten or Yield. For me (and probably only me), No Code, Binaural, and Riot Act are the band’s holy trinity. For Eddie Vedder, however, Dark Matter is Pearl Jam’s best work, “No hyperbole.”

I won’t go quite as far as Mr. Vedder, but I can appreciate where he’s coming from. My initial thoughts on the album were basically along the lines of, “well, it’s better than Gigaton.” Subsequent listens, however, revealed an album with some surprising staying power. It’s not unusual for me to spend a solid weekend listening to a new release, but Dark Matter pulled me in for weeks. To that, I credit the sequencing as much as anything. Dark Matter boasts a way more balanced running order than, say, Lightning Bolt or Gigaton (both of which felt a bit front-loaded in terms of energy). As expected, the album’s opening salvo immediately pulls you, but the band manages to sustain a sense of urgency for much of what follows.

Speaking of the band–everyone sounds inspired here. Stone and Jeff dutifully deliver, while Matt Cameron and Mike McCready (some of his best playing in years) consistently summon ‘wow’ moments. For his part, Vedder hasn’t sounded this (ahem) alive in years. That’s not to say he’s turned back the clock or channeled his Ten-era howls–those days are gone–but at nearly sixty years old, Vedder’s impassioned performance on Dark Matter is impressive nonetheless. 

Of course, it all boils down to the songs. And on that front, Dark Matter delivers in spades. Below are my ‘track-by-track’ thoughts:

1. Scared of Fear – “Scared of Fear” has everything we’ve come to expect from a Pearl Jam album-opener–a big riff, even bigger drums, and a blistering solo all riding along a straight-ahead, energetic groove. The combination of Vedder’s reflective lyrics (“We had our own scene, We were our own scene, We used to believe” and the way the band crashes in on the opening riff reminds me of “Life Wasted.”

Side Note: The ambient intro (and subsequent whip-crack) are a cool nod to the band’s ‘90s heyday. 

2. React/Respond – “React/Respond” pairs a slinky riff with one of Vedder’s best vocal performances on the album. From the atmospheric pre-chorus to the unhinged ending, the song is a stage-ready rocker and proof positive that this band still knows how to flat-out rock.

Side Note: McCready’s inspired solo and Vedder’s final scream are equally impressive.

3. Wreckage – A mid-tempo strummer with an ending for the ages, “Wreckage” finds Vedder and Co. ruminating on life and the inevitable loss it invites. The song is a masterclass in understated songwriting and the power of ‘less is more,’ and features some of Vedder’s strongest harmony work to date. “Wreckage” feels destined for the airwaves but also works well within the context of the album, providing some breathing room between a couple of amped-up numbers.

Side Note: I love the subtle (and occasionally not-so-subtle) nods to Tom Petty’s “Learning to Fly” sprinkled throughout the song.

4. Dark Matter – Thanks to the pulsating riff and yet another high-octane performance from Vedder, the album’s title track is among Dark Matter’s heaviest moments. For a band full of sixty-somethings, Pearl Jam still knows how to string a couple of riffs together. What the song lacks in the way of a hook, it more than makes up for with attitude.

Side Note: While I am not a huge fan of the album’s production, this is one of the few songs where I think Andrew Watt’s dense, ultra-modern sensibilities work.

5. Won’t Tell – Another mid-tempo pop-tinged number, “Won’t Tell” might contain the album’s catchiest chorus. That said, the song elicited little more than a shoulder shrug during my first few listens. It wasn’t until I began to wrap my head around the surprisingly evocative lyrics that the song finally ‘clicked’ into place.

Side Note: I’ve seen references to 2000’s U2 floating around in connection to this song, but to my ears, “Won’t Tell” feels like something that would’ve sounded right at home on the Pearl Jam’s 2006 self-titled (Avocado) release.

6. Upper Hand – At nearly six minutes, “Upper Hand” is the requisite mid-album epic. From the simmering atmospheric introduction to the massive, amps-to-eleven outro, the song’s adventurous arrangement is just the sort of thing that a breakneck three-week recording schedule invites. I’m still not sure that this song wouldn’t have benefited from a little refinement, but I admire the band’s choices here.

Side Note: The spacey verse/loud chorus combo reminds me of the Binaural standout “Nothing As It Seems” (which is a very good thing in my book).

7. Waiting For Stevie – A lot of buzz surrounding this one, and it’s easy to see why. From Eddie’s soaring vocals to McCready’s ‘mountaintop’ solo, “Waiting For Stevie” sounds like something that might’ve wound up on the Singles soundtrack. The song is definitely one of the album’s best moments and will likely be a live staple from here on out.

Side Note: While the story about Stevie Wonder showing up a few hours late for a session makes for cool lore, I wish the song’s title didn’t feel like an afterthought.

8. Running – A punk-infused two-minute rager in the vein of “Mind Your Manners,” “Running” gives the back half of Dark Matter a nice reset before the album settles into its final act. The lack of anything resembling a hook made this a strange choice for a pre-release single, but you can’t help but marvel at the song’s blistering pace.

Side Note: This might have my favorite McCready solo on the record–his ability to put something hummable where most player’s would just spit out a barrage of notes is a borderline superpower.

9. Something Special – Vedder’s heart-on-his-sleeve ode to his daughters, “Something Special” would’ve been right at home on the singer’s 2022 solo release (Earthling). Unfortunately, from the plodding pace to the borderline-hokey lyrics, the song feels woefully out of place here. I appreciate the sentiment (and the song), but cutting this instantly makes Dark Matter a leaner, meaner record.

Side Note: Despite everything I said above, I can’t help but recognize the ‘full circle’ nature of this track–a man who never knew his father watching his own children walk into the world is a beautiful thought.

10. Got to Give – Another late-album rocker, “Got to Give ” is cut from the same Who-adjacent cloth that defines much of the Backspacer album. The last couple of Pearl Jam releases would’ve really benefited from a solid ‘back-half’ rocker like this.

Side Note: The final minute feels tailormade for the stage–I can just hear the arena-wide sing-along now.

11. Setting Sun – The template for how Pearl Jam tends to bookend an album is pretty defined–open with a kick-down-the-door rocker and close things out with a contemplative ballad. And on a spectrum of silly (“Stupid Mop”) to brilliant (“Release,” “All Or None”), “Setting Sun” falls much closer to the latter. In fact, the song’s simmer-to-a-boil arrangement and the weighty lyrics instantly remind me of “Inside Job.” Hands down, this is the band’s best finale in a decade.

Side Note: I’d like to think the band has another handful of records in them, but there are simply no guarantees at this stage in the game. And while I hate the thought of Pearl Jam calling it a day, “Setting Sun” puts a mighty nice point on the whole thing.

It’s pretty amazing that, after all these years, Pearl Jam can deliver an album as strong as Dark Matter. There are subtle (and not-so-subtle) nods to every era of Pearl Jam’s discography, but also a hint of where their final act might take them. With shades of Tom Petty’s later work peeking through on tracks like “Wreckage,” the idea of this band recording and touring a decade from now suddenly feels plausible and exciting. Is Dark Matter Pearl Jam’s best work? Way too soon to tell for this writer, but probably not. Either way, it’s undoubtedly a late-career triumph that further solidifies their status as one of rock’s most iconic and influential bands.