Happy Monday Readers, which is something I never say but I’m trying to have a more positive outlook nowadays in this world of chaos. I have an album review from a band that has been very influential and made a milestone in music overall. My childhood was in the time of grunge although I did not grow up in Seattle, California had a steady fanbase when it came to the grunge category despite it being looked down upon by critics, hell, what do they know right? For the record, I’m no critic I’m just a music fanatic.

To be honest I haven’t kept up with Pearl Jam since their 1998 release Yield. I think some of us are old enough remember the animated video for Do the Evolution and me being an animation fanatic too I loved that video, just a bonus that it was done by Todd MacFarlane, mostly known for his creation of Spawn and to be fair it was a good song. I’ve always been a fan of this band. When I was a kid, I found the cassette tape for their first record Ten on my parent’s stereo but never listened to the music until I got a bit older and when I realized that was the band with the cover of all those hands high fiving in the picture, I loved the music. So, the cover art stuck in my brain, but I hadn’t listened to the music until way later. This was 1991 and I was a 5-year-old, for those who want details on this matter.

This album caught my attention because this morning I was listening to Howard Stern’s interview with the band, and knowing Stern, he takes a deep dive on everything, like a good journalist should! I knew they had a record coming out beforehand. I just did not know it was this soon, or time is going too fast for me. As I have stated, I have always been a fan of this band, but the last few releases that had dropped did not do it for me. So, after that 2 hour plus interview, I gave the album a listen, and I have to say I am not disappointed.

The record starts out on a nostalgic note with Scared of Fear. It sounded like the band was reminiscing about their time starting out in the scene and the fun times they had doing so. I can understand because whenever I hang out with old friends, we reminisce about all the fun times we have. Good or bad, look back and laugh. Scared of Fear, I thought, was a very solid feel-good opener to Dark Matter. It had that classic grunge groovy feel that stood strong, and Eddie Vedders lyrics sounded really human. Coming from a human experience, we all share at one point or another. Despite the feel-good opening, this album had some anger to it I felt, and rightfully so. With songs like React, Respond, which sounds like a punk rock anthem with a styling with something like The Ramones would do. Going into the political side of things with Wreckage. There is a line in that song that song that really stood out for me. “I know longer give a fuck about who is wrong or who is right”, and that is bold statement in today’s times. A very human statement. Which sounds like to me that he feels that we need to get someone in that office that is going to do the right thing regardless of side or party.

The tracks that stood out to me the most were Waiting for Stevie. A story song that they had recorded while waiting to collaborate with the legendary Stevie Wonder, which has nothing to do with Mr. Wonder himself lyrical wise, other than being influenced by him. The intro of this gave me a chill it my spine with the smoothness of the bass and the hypnotic guitar riff that opened the track. This song definitely had a nostalgic 90’s vibe to it. The story, the sounds, and the ripping guitar solo reminded me a bit like the solo from Alive on the Ten record. The last track that stood out to me was Running. A grungy punk rock track that paid tribute to the punk rock bands of the 80s. A track that is filled with angst that will get you going whether you are just waking up in the morning or getting ready for work or starting your work out at the gym. The interpretation I had gotten from Vedder’s lyrics sounded like in times of war and/or the direction America will go if the wrong person gets elected in 2024. Running away from all the chaos just trying to survive in difficult circumstances which can be an ode to what is going with Ukraine-Russian situation, the war going on in Israel or the mess of a political system that America has sadly inherited at this point.

In conclusion, this is a solid record for old and new fans of the band alike. The band hasn’t sounded this tight in years. This record had a lot of angst mixed in with some nostalgia with that classic Pearl Jam signature sound that made these guys a success. Eddie’s lyrics come from a very human place, which was always his talent as a songwriter. As much anger as this album has, there is some feel-good music to balance that out. Didn’t skip a track in the 11 songs clocking in at 48 minutes. Thanks for reading. Give this record a listen.