World-renowned 90s grunge band Pearl Jam is still making headlines over 30 years later with their first new song in four years: “Dark Matter.” The band unveiled “Dark Matter” on Feb. 12, stunning fans with the new unexpected release. 

The comment section of the YouTube video for the song demonstrates the incredible amount of support the new track has garnered, with one fan by the username of @lennonleonardo7997 commenting, “It’s 90s vibes once again. Keep rocking guys!” 

User @terraformingcats8175 also commented, “So glad to see Pearl Jam back at it! This song really is something special. Thank you, guys!”

The announcement of their 12th studio album succeeded their new song. Also called “Dark Matter,” the record is set to release on April 19, 2024.

Junior Sophia Martin is a bassist and member of the Sage Creek chamber orchestra and the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory. “I think they utilize some interesting harmonies and vocals that really draw your attention to their music, especially in their older works,” said Martin of Pearl Jam as a whole. 

Martin also commented on the new song in particular and how it didn’t stand out to her personally, but that it “felt a lot more coherent than their most recent releases.” 

“This single might be the start of another great era of music for them,” she said.

Senior Cole Flanegan is a trumpet player for the Sage Creek wind ensemble as well as the bassist for the Carlsbad-based rock band the Perfect Nose Club. Flanegan also had some unfavorable things to say about the new song. 

“It’s a bit too simple; the A, B, and C sections are all kind of similar and I didn’t see enough variation in the song to really enjoy it,” he said.

With any older band also comes fans who are dissatisfied with their newer songs due to the comparison of them to their earlier releases. Regardless, it will be exciting to see whether or not their new album will live up to fans’ expectations and be able to break that barrier between the 90s and now.