Pearl Jam’s latest offering is full of some of the band’s greatest material
Rock fans have been spoilt for choice in the last few months, with some of the greatest bands in the genre’s history releasing new material. From The Rolling Stones to Blink 182 and Green Day, we have seen the return of rock with some brilliant music and not just cash grabs.
Into this scene, one of the pioneers of grunge music returns to the limelight with an album that takes you right back to the early ’90s. Pearl Jam’s latest, titled Dark Matter, releases today with eleven new compositions that show that even after thirty years, the band is still at the peak of its powers.
Produced by Andrew Watt, who was also responsible for The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds, this album is not just a nostalgia trip into the glory days of grunge. Instead, it is a condensed version of Pearl Jam's trajectory and an organic progression of their sound.
Eddie Vedder’s angsty voice and powerful lyrics are evident from the start, with songs like Running reminiscent of hits like Even Flow and The Fixer. The track Something Special, on the other hand, signals the band members’ growth as artists and people. Matt Cameron’s drums complement Vedder’s vocals and Mike McCready’s and Stone Gossard’s energetic riffs, creating what could be this decade’s definitive rock album.
Dark Matter is not simply a return to form but perhaps, in Vedder’s own words, ‘the greatest music they have produced yet’. That’s saying something since the good ol’ days when “Jeremy spoke in class”.