Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter: A Brief, but Fun, Look Back at 1991

Pearl Jam has been putting out music since 1991 and Eddie Vedder has done everything from ukulele records to movie scores. Ever since Yield we have been looking for that track to take us back to the raw power of Ten. Don’t get me wrong, Pearl Jam’s records since Yield have all been solid listens, but they did not quite get to that Pearl Jam level. I’m not saying Dark Matter will make you forget about Jeremy, but this is the Pearl Jam, especially the Eddie Vedder, I have been waiting for.

Musically, the title track to the Dark Matter record starts out with a solid tom and snare snap by Matt Cameron, who was also a member of Soundgarden back in the day. We are then greeted by one of the gems of this track, which is Mike McCready’s raw grunge crunch. This riff is both a killer riff and a time machine that brings you back to the flannel shirts and black Chuck Taylors of 1991. In fact, Cameron and McCready are really the MVPs of this track and keep the energy up. Cameron’s drums give the track a great spine that McCready can hook onto for crunchy verses and explosive solos. It is not quite the raw do-it-yourself energy you got off early Pearl Jam, but it’s not far off.

The other key to this track’s success is Vedder’s uncompromising vocal. For someone who sings like his throat is on fire, he has fantastic range on this track. He can slow it down, blast out a chorus and still have enough to give us that classic grunge crooning vocal we are all looking for. I have always loved his vocals. He always had a genuine passion and honesty behind his vocal that I was drawn to. To me, it sounds like his vocal has hardly aged and he is really giving it in this track.

You really feel that Pearl Jam napalm at the end of the track where Vedder is screaming incoherent lyrics like his life depended on it and McCready is pounding his guitar into dust. I loved Nirvana back in the day, but I was never an either or guy and loved both bands. Dark Matter does not hit the heights of Corduroy, Jeremy, Yellow Ledbetter or Better Man…I may just listen to Pearl Jam for 2 hours now…but it gives you that vibe. The vibe of a band that has something to say and wants to bring you along for the ride. Dark Matter is a solid rock track in its own right, but it will also remind you why this band is so important to music history.

Listen to Dark Matter