Discussions about Pearl Jam’s twelfth report ought to dwell on the extraordinary longevity of this grunge-era band, who arrive of their thirty fifth 12 months largely intact and on the suitable facet of historical past – pro-environment, pro-voting. For his or her newest album they’ve turned to 33-year-old rock fan turned superproducer Andrew Watt (glad prospects embody Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop and the Rolling Stones, plus PJ singer Eddie Vedder solo), who applies Spotify-era tweakments to heritage acts. Right here, he amplifies melody, foregrounds crunch and trims fats, whereas reminiscent of Pearl Jam’s first two hits, Ten (1991) and Vs (1993). By now, most listeners will know the place they stand on Vedder’s distinctive holler and the band’s beefiness; little on Darkish Matter is more likely to enchant gen Z away from their very own heroes.
However the devoted will rejoice. In distinction to Pearl Jam works assembled extra lugubriously – Gigaton (2020) – you possibly can actually hear the guys-in-a-room power percolating by means of quicker songs akin to Operating. React, Reply finds Pearl Jam’s rhythm part and guitars feeding off each other. One thing Particular, addressing Vedder’s daughters, is much less engaging. However there’s nothing amiss with the title observe, a pile-driving swirl full with headphone Doppler impact that doesn’t want a 90s revival to sound on level.
