Hello, everyone! Welcome to an individual album review—this time it’s the newest Pearl Jam album, Dark Matter.

So, here’s a band I don’t think I’ve ever talked about on this website at all … I don’t even think I’ve mentioned them.

I could be wrong about that, but probably not, especially considering I’d barely even listened to Pearl Jam at all until recently. They’re probably among the most critically acclaimed grunge bands of the 1990s, and yet pretty much every time I heard them on the radio I just didn’t feel any real draw to the music, and a lot of it just blended together for me.

But I decided to listen to their entire discography before this review, and thus after a few listens to their first eleven albums I had a little bit better an idea what to expect from album number twelve.

And unfortunately I can’t say my expectations were super high, because while I found most of their albums tolerable, I also didn’t find them all that memorable or gripping. And maybe if I’d given them more than a few listens each I’d remember the songs more—and I would’ve done that if I had more time—but I don’t think it would really make me like the albums more. I guess I can’t really know that for sure, but I just didn’t find the melodies all that strong, and the production was messy a lot of the time, and the songs just didn’t really stand out to me all that much. I really like the occasional track such as “Alive”, and Lightning Bolt I actually ended up liking as a whole way more than I thought I would—probably the closest thing they have to an album I’d call great, even though I don’t think it quite gets there—but I can’t say I’m much of a Pearl Jam fan.

But anyway, they have a new album out, and I decided to give it a chance. And I’m surprised how much I ended up liking it!

I wouldn’t say I love this album, but it’s got some notable standout tracks for me, and it feels very different from most of their albums based on what I can remember, and probably a lot catchier.

This album opens with “Scared Of Fear”, a pretty fun rock track that feels like a catharsis from self-doubt, as the narrator realizes that other people’s problems are not always your fault. Yeah, sometimes they are—but this feels like someone realizing that they just need to accept the fact that they may not be able to help this person, although that won’t stop them from trying. And I quite like the vocal melodies and guitar distortion on this track, and it’s got a pretty strong chorus, too!

But it’s got nothing on the next song, “React, Respond”, which has to be among Pearl Jam’s best songs to date in my eyes. The chorus of this song is so goddamn infectious with those super punchy snares and awesome vocals! And that guitar solo at the end of the track is the cherry on top! And I really like the lyrics about taking action, with lines like, ‘We could be fighting together, instead of fighting ourselves,’ as well as that aforementioned chorus of ‘Don’t react, respond.’ On a bit of a side note, if I remember correctly I’ve heard this song when watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sportsnet this year, and it really works in that context!

I’m not a huge fan of the next track, “Wreckage”, but I still mostly like it. It’s well produced, and the guitars sound really nice, but there’s just not a lot that makes it stand out to me sonically.

The title track is next on the album, and I understand why someone might find this song to be kind of annoying, with the generic chugging guitar riffs and a sound that feels built for the radio … but I actually really like this one, and I’m not entirely sure why! Maybe it’s just the guitar melodies being really strong, or something in the vocals—but something makes this really click for me, and I can’t quite figure out why!

“Won’t Tell” starts off really strong as the production sounds gorgeous, with that beautiful guitar timbre and the drums which sound great in the mix, but the vocal melodies on this track don’t really do a whole lot for me, and that synth in the background of the chorus feels kind of out of place, or at least I wish it blended in better with the rest of the production. I’m not really sure what the lyrics are about here, but I wonder if it’s about song writing. Overall, I somewhat like this track, but I feel like it could’ve been a lot better.

The next track, “Upper Hand” has an intro that kind of reminds me of U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”, and I feel like I would really like the intro to this track if it didn’t drag on as long as it does. And I also just feel like it doesn’t really build to a super interesting song. I like what seems to be the theme here of how no one experiences your life but yourself, but it just doesn’t feel like there’s much more to it beyond that. Maybe I’m wrong, but either way, I’m just not all that impressed by this song.

I like the lyrics on “Waiting For Stevie” which seem to show someone who is skeptical about what people think of them, with lines such as, ‘You can be loved by everyone, and not feel, not feel love.’ But I’m not really a huge fan of the way this song sounds, with underwhelming vocal melodies and overly tight production which doesn’t let the individual instruments stand out as much as I’d like them to.

“Running” is one of my favourite tracks here, with that awesome bass as a driving force for this anthemic rock song with a great chorus and great production! It’s not one that gives me a ton to say, but it’s a ton of fun to listen to!

“Something Special” is probably my least favourite song here. I don’t dislike this track, but something feels really off-putting about the way Eddie Vedder sings the title of the song, and the drums are clunky and the guitar distortion feels underpowered. This song just has a really wonky vibe to its sound and I don’t really think it works.

I mostly like “Got To Give” and I think it’s really well produced, and then the album ends with the song “Setting Sun” which is another standout for me, with its great melodies and a vibe which really fits with the lyrics describing the end of a relationship, and the percussion on this track sounds excellent!

Overall, this isn’t an album that gives me a ton to say, but I still think it’s a really solid rock album with mostly good production and some good choruses and some lyrics I really like, too!

I don’t think it’s a super consistent album, but it’s got some great moments, and I wouldn’t say there’s a bad song here, even though quite a few of them don’t really stand out to me all that much.

So, for me, Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter is getting a 7/10.

I know this review wasn’t as in-depth as it could have been, but I decided to try not to put too much effort into this review, considering how many other reviews I’ve been working on that I want to post soon, and this album didn’t really give me a ton to say. Honestly, I feel like it may have been better for a mini review, but this review is already written, so I guess it’s getting published as its own review.

As always, though, let me know what you think of this album, and before this post ends I want to give a quick update on what’s coming up soon on this website. I’ve got a bunch of mini reviews coming up, which I will probably post in one huge mini review post (probably 16 albums—I’m at about 10 right now that are ready), and I am also working on at least a few other individual reviews that I’m hoping to post sooner rather than later, including the new albums from Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish.

As always, thanks for reading this post, and I’ll be back with more soon!

Final Thoughts
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Tracks: “React, Respond”, “Dark Matter”, “Running”, “Setting Sun”
Least Favourite Track: “Something Special”