Dark Matter

About

For anyone who’s ever wondered about the durability of Pearl Jam (or any veteran rock band) as they enter their fourth decade together, a brief story: When Eddie Vedder stepped away from the Seattle outfit to make his third solo LP—2022’s extremely fun <i>Earthling</i>—he enjoyed working with producer Andrew Watt so much that his first instinct was to share that feeling with his bandmate. He urged them to quickly meet him at Watt’s LA home studio, no gear or pre-written material necessary. It was all about playing—getting into a room together, splashing around, seeing what happen. It turns out, Vedder’s instincts are still good. Written and recorded with Watt over the course of two sessions—the first at his home and the second, months later, at the legendary Shangri-La in Malibu—Pearl Jam’s 12th full-length is immediate and direct, a lean-and-mean counterpoint to the more sculpted and experimental feel of 2020’s <i>Gigaton</i>. Credit fresh wind: Born less than a year before the release of the band’s era-defining 1991 debut <i>Ten</i>, Watt came of age with Pearl Jam’s earliest work. He brings a fan’s enthusiasm to the proceedings—he even plays guitar across the record, a dream—but also an outsider’s perspective on what feels authentic to Pearl Jam, no matter the date. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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