So, how do you grade Dark Matter?

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Comments

  • vedpunkvedpunk Posts: 906
    4 - One of the greater Pearl Jam songs
    After about 20 listens, I like the song.  Don't love it but I'll give it some time.  The overall rhythm, drums and guitar are fantastic.  The verses and especially the bridge are great.  I just don't love the vocal delivery and overall production though.  The vocals are lost in the mix.   The lack of melody in the chorus really drags the song down.  So close to being a hit if there was a more memorable chorus and the vocals were clearer and hit harder instead of being so wordy.  Still super pumped for the new album!
  • 1STmammal2wearPants1STmammal2wearPants Posts: 2,938
    edited February 16
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    3 for this - the music is super interesting, but Eddie's vocals are hard to discern/buried in the mix. I haven't had a song of theirs for a while where I couldn't understand most of the lyrics....
    And yeah, this hasn't stuck in my head just yet. 

    DOTC was a 4 for me after the first listen.
    Post edited by 1STmammal2wearPants on
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  • Lerxst1992Lerxst1992 Posts: 6,639
    BagCzech said:
    3days said:
    I think there should be a 3.5 option that is "A good Pearl Jam song".

    Instrumentally I like it. Lyrically, from what I gather, I like it. It doesn't exactly sound typical of Pearl Jam, so I dig the Soundgarden-esque departure.

    Hard to hear EV in the mix, which made it harder to discern the lyrics. Perhaps a smidge repetitive. I wonder if a Jeff/Matt power section or additional soloing would've created more balance.

    That being said, I'm a big fan of respecting artistic decisions. This song is a banger, and I ike it. Is it great? Maybe. For now, I know it's really good. 
    Concur with having a 3.5. This is why you see a lot of polls now that are a 6 point scale vs 5 point. With a 5 point you can just pick 3 if you’re in the middle, but with a 6 point scale, you’re forced to pick either 3 or 4. There’s no option for just average. 

    Excellent point BC and TD. It’s cool that SC set up this poll, but the wording of the categories creates imbalance in the results. 

    2 is below average and 4 is not above average, but “one of the greater PJ songs.” That’s an extremely high bar for any song, especially those released in the last 15 years. 4 should be above average and 5 great or elite, based on the wordings of 1 and 2.

    Based on that, the song should be a 4.

    As a big Soundgarden fan, I’d say this is a solid or even a great tune, definitely above average for the last ten years(possibly my favorite single in the last ten years) but not one of the greater PJ songs. It’s really tough these days to reach the esteemed heights of Even Flow or Jeremy.
  • MM70435MM70435 Posts: 284
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    I would give it a 2.5 so I rounded up to 3.  I listened to it on repeat for quite a while at first and thought it was OK.  After listening to it numerous times I then played Gigaton and thought it just doesn't stack up to so many songs off Gigaton.  I did not love Gigaton like I do now initially either so my opinion of Dark Matter may change as well.  
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  • CM189191CM189191 Posts: 6,927
    5 - Top Tier Pearl Jam song
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  • BF25394BF25394 Posts: 4,503
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    I was at an astronomy panel discussion last night. One of the panelists studies dark matter. He said that we still have many remaining questions about it. I told him they will all be answered April 19. (Incidentally, he had never heard of Pearl Jam.)
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  • JV130312JV130312 Posts: 2,486
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    I'd give it around a 2.5.  Not thrilled with it but it's not terrible.  I voted 3 to round up.


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  • js87130js87130 Posts: 89
    2 - Below average Pearl Jam song
    2 - Below average Pearl Jam song

    This really reminds me of You Are, which I think is a middle of the pack song for Pearl Jam.  After I listen to Dark Matter I find myself just wanting to hear You Are.  So I have to go with Below Average on this one. 
    And it feels a little disjointed and confused right before Mike's solo. I don't get that part.  It kinds kills the momentum of the song.
  • Lerxst1992Lerxst1992 Posts: 6,639
    BF25394 said:
    I was at an astronomy panel discussion last night. One of the panelists studies dark matter. He said that we still have many remaining questions about it. I told him they will all be answered April 19. (Incidentally, he had never heard of Pearl Jam.)

    Who?
  • LastExitBJPLastExitBJP Posts: 80
    edited February 18
    A 3 for me right now. 
    Post edited by LastExitBJP on
  • BF25394BF25394 Posts: 4,503
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    BF25394 said:
    I was at an astronomy panel discussion last night. One of the panelists studies dark matter. He said that we still have many remaining questions about it. I told him they will all be answered April 19. (Incidentally, he had never heard of Pearl Jam.)

    Who?
    It was not a famous person, just a doctoral student.
    I gather speed from you fucking with me.
  • retroponyretropony Posts: 351
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    dance of the clairvoyants II.....
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  • lastexitlondonlastexitlondon Posts: 13,881
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    I don't get the mike solo being unreal. It's a 20 second rapid noodle. He is way better than that
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  • SpunkieSpunkie Posts: 6,673
    edited February 18
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
     I'd change mine to a 4 now, if we could. 
    Post edited by Spunkie on
  • fgdanzifgdanzi Posts: 137
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    Middle of the pack. Sounds like a tune that could have been on Lightning Bolt. 
  • 4 - One of the greater Pearl Jam songs
    Love it more each time I hear it.  And would it really be a legit Pearl Jam song if we understood all of the words and could decipher the meaning immediately? 
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  • curmudgeonesscurmudgeoness Posts: 3,988
    Wow, people really aren't getting this one stuck in their head??? you just haven't listened enough...

    I found myself screaming "IT'S.... STRANGE.... THESE DAYS..." at work today in my head and played the song at least 5 times throughout the day. I don't even care if those are the right lyrics. 

    That phaser on the guitar, which is very prominent after the first chorus, reminds me of No Code/Binaural eras of song writing. They seem to be going out there, even if this is a little quick song they decided to throw at us first. The taste they've given us gives me hope for the album, and I think thats all you really need from the lead single.

    The lyrics are more ominous and could be about a variety of things, unlike Gigaton which felt like a "hate" letter to the then U.S. administration. 

    That scream from Eddie??? I mean come on!!! He's not getting any younger. And Mike's solo is absolutely unreal. I have a feeling this one will rip live, and isn't that like 50% or more the reason we love them??? 

    is it the best PJ song ever? By no means. Will it fit with their catalogue and stand out in a setlist lets say sandwiched between career spanning songs like Why Go and Lightning Bolt? 100%. 

    "STILL EVERYBODY ELSE PAYS.....
    FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S MISTAKE!" 

    It's a total earworm for both me and my husband; the refrain has been on endless loop in my head this weekend. I'm one of those people who would like it to be a bit longer.

    I think the lyrics go beyond political to a sort of moral outrage  -- which, frankly, I share, so there's that.

    Rating it is hard; as others have said, how do you compare a new song to something that has been a part of your life for a few decades? I guess I'd give it a 3.5 - 4 right now. It's easier for me to compare it to my first takes on Sirens and DOTC. I did *not* like Sirens at all until I heard it live; it had way too much of an '80s sound for me, and not in a good way. It grew on my after some live performances.

    DOTC I liked at first listen. It was a different direction for the band, interesting, reminiscent of Talking Heads. 

    Dark Matter, for me, has a lot of hooks, and it grabbed me immediately, and, yes, it sounds like it will be a scorcher live.
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  • SOLAT319SOLAT319 Posts: 4,594
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    Joan Jett vibes which is better than bubble gum pop vibes. 
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  • For me its probably a 2 or 3.  Maybe it will grow in time.
    Its not a bad song, I do enjoy it and listened loads of times but musically it doesnt really do it for me. 
    Hoping if this album does sound like pearl jam of old, then there are a few songs that have killer riffs, rather than just smashing chords
  • dani11dani11 Posts: 43
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    Middle of the pack.

    The song had been stuck in my head (when I was playing it on repeat for a while), but now I've stopped listening so much, I've almost forgotten how it goes!

    Dance Of The Clairvoyants had better melody (in terms of singing). I agree with whoever said Mike's solo at the end is just a 20 second rapid noodle - but I think the solo will be longer and much better live. It's missing some depth somehow, maybe in the verses. The chorus is pretty solid.

    All in all I think the song will sound pretty good live and I'm excited to hear it.




  • LiftedLifted Posts: 1,836
    2 - Below average Pearl Jam song
    A 1 might be more accurate, but Im hoping it grows on me and/or works better within the context of the album, so I gave it a generous 2.

    This is hanging around with sirens and the fixer as lead singles I've been the least impressed with. While I like the vibe more in this one, the song itself might be the worst of the bunch. It sounds lazy and forgettable and I hate the production.

    I listened to Binaural recently after playing this track on repeat a good bit...and it really makes me wonder how some of the songs that have been heavily criticized in the past would be received if they were released today. I feel like the bar has been lowered so much over the past 16 years that fans are generally going to appreciate anything that's at least average. Fair enough for a band at this stage of their career, but my point is, Evacuation sounds like a masterpiece compared to this latest single.


  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 13,140
    Need to hear the entire record.
  • spankyMPspankyMP Posts: 1,854
    3 - In the middle of the pack of Pearl Jam songs
    Wow, people really aren't getting this one stuck in their head??? you just haven't listened enough...

    I found myself screaming "IT'S.... STRANGE.... THESE DAYS..." at work today in my head and played the song at least 5 times throughout the day. I don't even care if those are the right lyrics. 

    That phaser on the guitar, which is very prominent after the first chorus, reminds me of No Code/Binaural eras of song writing. They seem to be going out there, even if this is a little quick song they decided to throw at us first. The taste they've given us gives me hope for the album, and I think thats all you really need from the lead single.

    The lyrics are more ominous and could be about a variety of things, unlike Gigaton which felt like a "hate" letter to the then U.S. administration. 

    That scream from Eddie??? I mean come on!!! He's not getting any younger. And Mike's solo is absolutely unreal. I have a feeling this one will rip live, and isn't that like 50% or more the reason we love them??? 

    is it the best PJ song ever? By no means. Will it fit with their catalogue and stand out in a setlist lets say sandwiched between career spanning songs like Why Go and Lightning Bolt? 100%. 

    "STILL EVERYBODY ELSE PAYS.....
    FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S MISTAKE!" 

    It's a total earworm for both me and my husband; the refrain has been on endless loop in my head this weekend. I'm one of those people who would like it to be a bit longer.

    I think the lyrics go beyond political to a sort of moral outrage  -- which, frankly, I share, so there's that.

    Rating it is hard; as others have said, how do you compare a new song to something that has been a part of your life for a few decades? I guess I'd give it a 3.5 - 4 right now. It's easier for me to compare it to my first takes on Sirens and DOTC. I did *not* like Sirens at all until I heard it live; it had way too much of an '80s sound for me, and not in a good way. It grew on my after some live performances.

    DOTC I liked at first listen. It was a different direction for the band, interesting, reminiscent of Talking Heads. 

    Dark Matter, for me, has a lot of hooks, and it grabbed me immediately, and, yes, it sounds like it will be a scorcher live.
    Agree on just about all of this!
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