12 Word Review: Pearl Jam ‘Gigaton’
A well-rounded album that will satisfy Pearl Jam fans of all eras.
Wait, was that twelve words? Yes. I counted “A” as a word and “well-rounded” as one word. Do the math. Then dig into Gigaton. It’s a solid rock album and a welcome musical companion in a time where so much is confusing and anxiety-provoking and up-in-the-air.
That’s what we need in times like these, right? Music as comfort food. And Pearl Jam delivers, hitting all the beats and notes you’d expect, but changing and growing enough inside their signature sound to provide long-time fans with a sort of nuanced evolution we can latch on to.
If you remember, when the band released “Dance of the Clairvoyants” last year, speculation was that Gigaton would be a bit of a sonic departure, a la No Code. To my ears, that track is the album’s major outlier. Everything else is pure Pearl Jam, just updated for a new decade. I like the singles the best so far, and I find myself drawn to the album’s B-side: “Never Destination,” “Take the Long Way,” “Buckle Up,” and “Comes Then Goes” is a great stretch of prime PJ.
You can read more about the album here, then dig into this ranking of of Pearl Jam’s Top 50 Songs.