Gigaton: Pearl Jam’s most mature work so far
The band’s first album in seven years is the perfect one to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
The 11th studio album by Pearl Jam, "Gigaton" is a treat for lovers of rock music. The Seattle grunge gurus brought their fans an extraordinary album which is perfectly balanced, dynamic, and sounds musically mature.
The album is available on various digital platforms such as Spotify, Google Play, Artists Store and YouTube. Most of the songs are accompanied by official visualizers which are mystifying and trippy in their own right.
The experimental grunge album, consisting 12 tracks, was released under the banner of Monkeywrench Records/ Republic Records on March 27.
The album reflects the band members' perspective on the world, politics and environment. As a matter of fact, the album cover represents a streaming Norwegian ice cap and the term gigaton is a unit of measurement for carbon dioxide emission.
Gigaton is also the band's first collaboration with music producer Josh Evans, who previously worked with Soundgarden and Chris Cornell. His contribution to the album has resulted in more experimental sound, transforming the songs into something the band had not done before.
At 55, Eddie Vedder's voice sounds better than ever in all the songs of the album, while Matt Cameron's drumming is nothing less than bliss to the ears.
The album opens with the song Who Ever Said which features a heavy bassline by Jeff Ament, while guitarist Stone Gossard played a crackling guitar riff with which Vedder's voice melted in perfectly.
Listen to Pear Jam's 'Who Ever Said' from the album Gigaton here
Comes Then Goes is an acoustic ballad that speaks of a lost friend - Chris Cornell - although it remains unsaid. But the lyrics of the song tell the story of the friendship between members of Pearl Jam and the deceased Soundgarden frontman.
Alright, a soothing number from Gigaton, portrays Pearl Jam's concerns about the environment and Earth. But if you are looking for a soothing piece that is also mellow, Buckle Up is the perfect choice.
Drummer Matt Cameron stole the spotlight for his excellent drumming on the track Take the Long Way. The guitar solo with the backing instruments also made the song a great rock number.
Seven O' Clock will remind the listeners of Alive, which is one of the most popular songs of Pearl Jam from their debut album "Ten."
The album ends with the track River Cross, which speaks lengths about the future of the Earth and the government's negligence regarding the world's environmental state. The lyrics of the song go on to depict the world's current state which is in tatters in the hands of world leaders.