The final band standing of the big four grunge bands (unless you count the band that’s currently masquerading as Alice in Chains) is back with their 11th studio album, and their first in nearly seven years. Of the big four, Pearl Jam have been the most consistent in releasing new material, and for the majority of their career, have had an extremely steady lineup, with no position other than drums ever being refilled. That being said, they are also probably my least favorite of the four. Apart from being the least lyrically interesting and musically heavy of the bunch, the fact that they have so much music by comparison unfortunately left them room to get a little boring, whereas the other three have very solid top-to-bottom catalogues of work overall. That being said, I don’t dislike Pearl Jam at all, and still keep their early music in regular listening rotation. So what about this new record? Will Gigaton be enough to get bored fans to tune back in?
Well, from the release of the first single, “Dance of the Clairvoyants” it was clear that this album would be different for Pearl Jam. This song was quite a surprise for Pearl Jam fans, boasting startlingly clean production, synthesizers, tightly compressed electronic drums, and funk-inspired guitars and bass. Not a direction anybody would have expected from the flannel-clad 90s alt-rock icons, but that’s not to say they didn’t make it work. It definitely took me a few listens to really get into this one, but now, I can honestly call it one of the major stand out tracks from the album. As lead singles will do, “Dance of the Clairvoyants” gave Pearl Jam fans a very specific set of expectations for what was to come from the rest of Gigaton. So was this song an accurate representation of the album as a whole?
Honestly, not at all. While I’ve really grown to love “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” it is perhaps the biggest odd duck on the album. Fans who were confused or even turned off by this single can take a huge sigh of relief, because the rest of Gigaton is much more reminiscent of Pearl Jam’s classic, guitar-driven hard rock style. That being said, this isn’t entirely as pure a Pearl Jam grunge record as Ten or Vitalogy either. Even the hardest of rockers that Gigaton has to offer trade in the slow-treading sludge of early Pearl Jam for more upbeat raw power, drawing influence from everything from post-punk to Zeppelin. The album’s first two tracks, “Who Ever Said” and “Superblood Wolfmoon” come roaring in from zero to 100 in no time at all. Punishing basslines, drums that never let up, and Jimmy Page inspired guitars set a tone for the album which reoccurs more often than that of “Dance of the Clairvoyants.” This raw, raucous style makes up about half of the total runtime, and while none of the songs in this style deviate from each other in a major way, the unrelenting high energy is enough to keep listeners engaged.
We are also treated to several slower songs, making for an interesting contrast against the more high-energy side of Gigaton. And while a couple of these songs serve as highlights, this softer side of things is where a lot of the album’s problems come into view. There really aren’t any intolerable songs here, but the major problem is that nearly all of these slower songs are blocked together right at the end. When the album’s last upbeat rager ends, there are still four songs remaining, three of which are over five minutes long, and all of which can be classified as ballads. This more or less kills the momentum of the album. So while the first two thirds of this record race right along, the final third can really drag. The last two songs, “Retrograde,” and “River Cross” are two of the most beautiful and heartfelt tracks on the album, but it took me several listens to truly appreciate them, as the entirely forgettable and unjustifiably long acoustic ballad “Comes Then Goes” had already lost my attention before the final two tracks even arrived. While a handful of these slower songs struck me as bland and didn’t do a thing for me, perhaps I could have appreciated them more if some of the more upbeat songs could have been mixed in to break up the monotony. The one upside to these songs is the showcasing of Eddie Vedder’s vocals, which are truly as great today as they were in 1991.
Lyrically, Gigaton is more or less everything one might expect from Pearl Jam in 2020. Eddie Vedder certainly doesn’t mince words when it comes to his distain for the current state of affairs in the world. He seems particularly concerned with the climate crisis, referencing the rising ocean levels in several different places, most blatantly on “Retrograde” and even toying with the possibility of moving to Mars on “Quick Escape,” a song which also calls out the president by name. “River Cross” continues to lament the current state of the world, while also offering a glimmer of hope and optimism to close things out. Vedder’s lyricism on this record is as moving and impactful as it has ever been, even if his syllable flow can get a little clunky in places.
Gigaton can definitely be described as a mixed bag. But hey, a mixed bag is definitely more interesting than anything else Pearl Jam has released in the 21st Century. Vedder and company make a noticeable effort here to put out meaningful music and to prove to the world that they still have as much energy and passion as they have ever had. The record is far from perfect, and isn’t their best by a long shot. Sequencing issues work to the disadvantage of the top-to-bottom listening experience, and a handful of songs are just outright forgettable. But when Pearl Jam get it right here, the result is some of the best music they’ve given us in a very long time. And these moments far outweigh the low points.
Score: 7/10
Favorite Song(s): Superblood Wolfmoon, Quick Escape, Dance of the Clairvoyants, River Cross
Least Favorite Song(s): Comes Then Goes, Buckle Up
Phil Klinker Music Reviews 