Pearl Jam has released “Wreckage,” the latest song from their upcoming album Dark Matter. You can listen to it below.
The mid-tempo song finds Eddie Vedder embracing a Tom Petty-like delivery, crooning on themes of survival and the passage of time.
The acoustic-tinged tune offers yet another stylistic shift, hinting at the versatility on display on Pearl Jam’s 12th studio album. By contrast, the previously-released “Running” is a frenzied, punk-style attack, while the title track delivers bombastic, anthemic rock.
In a conversation with Spin, guitarist Stone Gossard revealed how Vedder and producer Andrew Watt built the track’s foundation.
READ MORE: Why Pearl Jam’s First Listeners Were ‘Dicks’ to Eddie Vedder
“Andrew and Ed worked that out together. One morning, we came in and they had something going on,” the guitarist explained. “That one probably has the biggest build for me personally, in terms of hearing it at first and thinking, it’s kind of an Ed song. I wasn’t quite aware of its potency until later. Andrew encouraged me to play this little harmonic, acoustic part almost like a Cure melody. I’ve been playing along with the song to relearn it and I’m really looking forward to playing it live. It’s a really powerful lyric and I think we did a really great job of taking something and really pushing it to its limit.”
When Does Pearl Jam’s New Album Come Out?
Dark Matter arrives on Friday, April 19. Vedder — who is not known for exaggeration or self-promotion — has openly called it the band’s “best work.” The band previewed the LP on April 16 with a special global listening party held in movie theaters around the world.
Pearl Jam will support the release with a world tour, kicking off May 4 in Vancouver, Canada.
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