Pearl Jam, Gigaton | Album Review 💿

Nearly seven years after their previous album, Lightning Bolt, grunge rock darlings Pearl Jam make a strong comeback on their 11^th album, Gigaton. 

Pearl Jam hails from a totally different music era.  It’s true, as hard as that may be for those of us who grew up or were at least exposed to the grunge movement that characterized the1990s.  Even if the band’s heyday dates back a two decades, a new Pearl Jam album is STILL kind of a big deal, hence why the arrival of Gigaton was so highly anticipated.  Making such anticipation worthwhile is the fact that Eddie Vedder and company make such a strong comeback on their 11^th studio album, and first in nearly seven years.

“Who Ever Said”

“Whoever said it’s all been said / Gave up on satisfaction.” Facts Pearl Jam, facts! Gigaton engages from the get-go with the ferocious, five-minute-plus ✓ “Who Ever Said.” After nearly a seven-year hiatus, “Who Ever Said” is a prime example of the way to commence a comeback LP.  In the spirit of grunge, the guitars are potent, the drums pummel, and Eddie Vedder is, well, still very much Eddie.  While “Who Ever Said” has its straightforward aspects, the bridge takes things a different harmonic direction, keeping things interesting. This carries over into successive ‘verses,’ before the order is restored on the aforementioned, memorable chorus.

“Superblood Wolfmoon” – what a song title! Anyways, the sophomore cut, and advance single maintains the energy established by “Who Ever Said.”  It doesn’t supplant it by any means, but it keeps Gigaton LIT. Eddie Vedder is turned up, delivering quite the intense performance for someone 55 years young.

He follows with another advance single, ✓ “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” which contrasts not only the two tracks preceding it, but also the Pearl Jam catalogue as a whole.  Thought a stark change of course, “Dance of the Clairvooyants” has some pros, including the drum groove and the pronounced bass line. Lyrically, it’s certainly interesting, whether its moments like “I’m in love with clairvoyants / ‘Cause they’re out of this world” or the eyebrow-raising “I know the boys wanna grow / Their dicks and fix and file things.” Furthermore, can’t leave out Vedder’s performance – spirited and wild to say the least.  Polarizing joint, but definitely interesting.

“Quick Escape”  

“Dance of Clairvoyants” may not be for everyone, but it’s hard to deny how hard ✓ “Quick Escape” hits.  From the onset, it’s impossible not to start head banging – or whatever body movement you do when you totally rock out.  What makes “Quick Escape” so satisfying is its straightforward, hard rocking charm.  The guitars are fierce, the bass line robust, and Vedder is locked in. Expanding on the ferocious guitars, the solo that occurs kicks some serious ass.  Besides this, Steve Spaleta (Space.com) highlights makes an astute observation while reviewing the album:

“The song made this old sci-fi buff and musician recognize that something different (and spectacular) was happening. The band has looked to the stars for inspiration in a time when the Earth’s future is in jeopardy.”

“Alright” has a tough act to follow – understatement.  That said, “Alright” manages to distinguish itself, thanks to pulling back on the dynamics and bringing some enigma to Gigaton.  This is a beautiful rock record that finds Vedder showcasing a more tender side vocally. Where “Quick Escape” found him growling or roaring (take your pick), “Alright” is kinder and gentler, without sacrificing quality.

“Seven O’Clock” marks the sixth track of Gigaton, as well as the longest, running past the six-minute mark.  Even though it’s more ambitious in length, “Seven O’Clock” makes nice use of both space and pacing. Vedder is more assertive vocally than he was on “Alright,” but generally, he still showcases more restraint and balance compared to the hardest rocking joints.  He’s more aggressive at the end of the cut, where there’s “Much to be done / Much to be.” As far as the sound, “Seven O’Clock” conveys energy, but does so without overwhelming you with a wall of guitars. Besides the standard instrumentation, there some interesting tone color and texture added with keyboards.

“Never Destination”

“I won’t be taken, won’t take myself / Kick and screaming, have to knock me off the shelf / Feels like illusion, is this taking place? / Disease of confusion, stripped of our grace.” Aggressive AF!  ✓ “Never Destination” arrives in the nick of time, accelerating the tempo, amplifying the hard rock, and giving Gigaton a further energy boost. Much like “Quick Escape,” “Never Destination” is turned TF up, with Vedder and Pearl Jam sounding ‘fresh to death,’ as archaic as that phrase may be. The tempo remains quick and the intensity high-flying on follow-up “Take the Long Way.” Perhaps it’s not quite the fireball of “Never Destination,” but all things seem to be working effortlessly honestly.  Vedder is still lit but also showcases control and a respectable degree of musicianship.

“Firstly, do no harm / Then put your seatbelt on / Buckle up / Buckle up.” Fittingly, Gigaton chills out following two ‘pedal to the metal’ cuts.  “Buckle Up” isn’t a ballad per se – it’s still rhythmic and moderately paced – but it sort of plays that role at this point of the album.  This thoughtful record is hypnotic in nature, with some truly unsettling lyrics.  A prime example:

“The drapes pull back
Reveal her wound
Her boy on her lap
A murderer groomed.”

“Come Then Goes” 

The power and richness of the guitar is established from the beginning of ✓ “Comes Then Goes,” the second lengthiest record from Gigaton. At times, there’s a bluesy, Americana vibe that’s quite captivating, specifically at the beginning and recurring at the end. “Come Then Goes” is Eddie accompanied by the glorious stringed instrument on this superbly penned and executed singer/songwriter rock cut.  According to producer Josh Evans (via Variety), “The rest of the band realized their part for this song was to not play. Why mess with it?” Agreed.  As is the case with many of the songs on the album, the verses carry more lyrical weight than the chorus, which in this case is the expressive singing of the titular lyric, repeated as many as four times.

“The more mistakes, the more resolve / It’s gonna take much more than ordinary love / To lift this up.” True dat Pearl Jam, true dat!  The thoughtful ✓ “Retrograde” arrives as the penultimate number.  Where many songs on Gigaton feature one-word/one-line choruses, quite effectively I might add, “Retrograde” does the opposite.  It features a fully developed chorus to match the lyricism exhibited on the verses.

“Stars align they say when
Things are better than right now
Feel the retrograde spin us ‘round, ‘round
Seven seas are raising
Forever futures fading out
Feel the retrograde all around, ‘round.”

There seem to be many angles and perspectives one can take regarding the meaning of “Retrograde.” The obvious one is protecting the environment and climate change.  The other, perhaps opaquer, is socially driven.  Gigaton concludes colorfully with “River Cross,” which notably features organ (specifically a pump organ, according to Josh Evans).  That’s not the only distinct instrument; there’s also a kalimba! The sound of the record is one of its biggest selling points. Still, the lyrics remain compelling:

“I want this dream to last forever
A wish denied to lengthen our time
I wish this moment was never ending
Let it be a lie that all futures die
While the government thrives on discontent
And there’s no such thing as clear
Proselytizing and profitizing
As our will all but disappears…”

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Gigaton is a satisfying comeback album for Pearl Jam. This is a great entry in the band’s discography as it enters its 30^th year in existence.  There are a number of intriguing musical selections throughout, with all 12 of the songs featuring some redeeming qualities. Eddie Vedder is approaching 56 years of age, but he’s still an energetic, incredibly potent front man. Gigaton = winning. 

✓ Gems: “Who Ever Said,” “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” “Quick Escape,” “Never Destination,” “Comes Then Goes” & “Retrograde”

Pearl Jam • Gigaton • Republic • Release: 3.27.20

Photo Credit: Republic