Pearl Jam, “Dark Matter.”

Pearl Jam is easily America’s most reliable rock band.

The last survivors of the early ’90s golden age in the Pacific Northwest have nothing to prove after 33 years. Yet they just keep chugging along, true music lovers and brothers in rock, who haven’t had a lineup change since Matt Cameron recovered from Soundgarden’s split to join his Seattle friends in 1998.

True, it’s been a while since they made a truly great record; 2020’s Gigaton was surprisingly close. But they’ve never made a bad record. Not even close. And the streak continues with Dark Matter.

Pearl Jam is the rock equivalent of Cal Ripken, Jr. and his 2,632 consecutive game streak in Major League Baseball. He was always one of the best players. Not the most spectacular, but easily the most reliable for a long, long time. And when Ripken’s streak ended, it was because he took himself out of the lineup. That will likely be the case with Pearl Jam. Frontman Eddie Vedder recently told MOJO that the band likely had one or two records left in the tank.

I find that difficult to believe, knowing the band’s consistency and productivity, and hearing Dark Matter. Meanwhile, it keeps powering along. However, this record has an edge and enthusiasm not heard from Pearl Jam in some time.

The difference this time is the presence of superproducer Andrew Watt, who cut his teeth producing pop acts like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus. Then he went and showed his true love of rock in recent years by producing acts like the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop and Ozzy Osbourne. Born the year Pearl Jam formed, he’s also a fantastic guitarist (playing guitar on an Ozzy record is no small feat, considering the job was one of the most coveted guitar gigs for decades). So it’s no surprise Watt – who’s a huge Pearl Jam fan – got guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard out front and center on Dark Matter.

There’s been considerable buzz about the record for months, partially because of Watt’s presence and partially on the back of the first single and the title track. For the first time since 1998, Pearl Jam hit No. 1 on a Billboard chart. “Dark Matter” flew to the top spot on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. It also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay chart.

One or two more records, my ass.

Watt encouraged Pearl Jam to be the guitar rock band it’s always been, which goes with song hooks like cheese with macaroni. He’s also done a great job of encouraging the band to play its instruments with some joy, as the producer managed to pull everyone up in the mix so you can feel the songs, not just hear them. They really sound like they were all on the same page.

Opener “Scared Fear” has a straight-ahead, effective guitar riff bouncing between listeners’ ears. It’s not the greatest opener, but this is a record that gets better as it goes. “React, Respond” just rocks. Somebody gave bassist Jeff Ament some caffeine while writing this record, as he’s as present in the mix and song structure as ever. The enthusiasm is infectious, and it sounds like the musicians are having a blast.

“Wreckage” isn’t quite as fast and loud but is a better song. Vedder goes to one of his strengths: emotion and singing like he means it. His voice just dominates while his bandmates do exactly what they should behind him. They all know when to let up on the accelerator, and when to step on it again.

The title track is an interesting choice for a first single. It’s not the catchiest song on the record, nor is it the best. Cameron gets to show off his chops and the staccato riff almost sounds like Soundgarden (there’s a couple times on the record where you can also hear echos of Temple of the Dog,” the 1990 Soundgarden/Pearl Jam hybrid project that many credit for the Seattle scene taking off. It’s seriously enthusiastic, and Cameron and the guitars just power the controlled chaos at the end.

That sets up “Won’t Tell,” another example of Pearl Jam being so good at getting off the gas and giving Vedder room to work. It’s something at which the band has always been good: giving a signature classically unique rock voice the space to write hooks, while playing dynamically and sacrificing no power.

“Upper Hand” breathes deeply, again giving Vedder space, but with some fantastic guitar changes. The solo is perfect; very out front, which was no doubt encouraged by Watt. Rock fans tend to forget guitar can be just as powerful when it’s paced, rather than just shredding. Like how, on “Upper Hand,” it evolves with Cameron’s unexpected double time behind the last lead. It’s very well put together.

“Waiting for Stevie” is a decent song, building at the end because, when all else fails, dynamics and a great guitar solo simply work. The next song “Running” grabs the ears, with a wild bass opening from Ament and a pounding tempo that grows into a half-time bridge toward the end that just tees up the ending. This is a veteran band cutting loose for some young punk fun.

“Something Special” goes back to giving Vedder enough room to craft a great melody. Watt’s mixing prowess shows here; everyone is heard at once, which in less capable hands can be messy. The arrangement is great as well. Songs like this are fun to play, even if on the soft side.

“Got to Give” has a mid-tempo, upbeat riff, with Vedder aptly filling gaps until the band builds it up near the end. It might be as close to filler as one can find on Dark Matter, but it’s still very listenable.

Dark Matter ends with “Setting Sun,” which sounds like Pearl Jam initially got the idea sitting around a beach campfire. What starts pleasantly enough, with Vedder singing about everything being OK, adds layers and volume and becomes even better after the halfway point, when some mood is added around the guitar lead. It’s well-placed and serves the rest of the song well. Pearl Jam still has plenty in the tank. Even with the band’s impressive catalog, just one or two more records might not be enough.