Sure. I expect to love a new Pearl Jam album, too, in that way that fans love things. That's why I'm still a fan and I keep buying their shit. But I don't expect to be moved the way I used to. At this point in there career, I expect a decent enough record with two or three songs that I adore and maybe one that I don't care for at all. Gigaton far exceeded my wildest expectations for what a new Pearl Jam album, at this point in their careers, could be/do.

i get that, i guess im lucky that even LB has moments were im totally moved. Sirens for example, or Yellow Moon they just get me.

For me, Gigaton answered the question: "if Pearl Jam released an album that sounded like they cared, that showed a level of inspiration and craft beyond the perfunctory nature of the last decade of their career, would my fandom be reactivated?" The answer, as it turns out, is "not really." The first sign was when everyone here was raving about DOTC and I just felt like... "huh." They do just about everything right on Gigaton, but I think their sound and their overall creative identity just doesn't resonate with me anymore. That's cool, it's not Gigaton's fault, I'm just not really in the market for this type of music right now. I don't see myself revisiting the album beyond "Buckle Up" and "Take the Long Way," both of which are fantastic songs that I genuinely enjoy, and both of which kind of don't sound like 2020 Pearl Jam. While there is a lot to admire on the rest of Gigaton, I'm totally cool with appreciating it from a distance, and being glad that it makes other people happy. It's as amicable a breakup as you could have.

I liked DOTC a lot (and still do) - but otherwise this is me too.

Yeah this is where I'm falling with this record at this point.

Sure. I expect to love a new Pearl Jam album, too, in that way that fans love things. That's why I'm still a fan and I keep buying their shit. But I don't expect to be moved the way I used to. At this point in there career, I expect a decent enough record with two or three songs that I adore and maybe one that I don't care for at all. Gigaton far exceeded my wildest expectations for what a new Pearl Jam album, at this point in their careers, could be/do.

Yeah this is where I'm falling with this record at this point.

I think I get more active enjoyment from the album than you guys are getting but I definitely relate to this feeling (in more than a few contexts, really). Gigaton exceeded my expectations but hasn't managed to instantly negate the effects of 10-ish years being relatively cool on the band's output, and I haven't felt much of a call to revisit it since the first month/month-and-a-half or so. I imagine I'll come back to it and like it, but other people who are saying they're still playing it 3-4 times a week, having the same reactions to it that they had to Yield and Binaural -- I haven't experienced that. Other kinds of music hold the key to that part of my brain nowadays.

I can’t stand most of Backspacer and Lightning Bolt, and I was definitely far less into PJ over the last decade because of it. And my musical taste have changed some and expanded to different bands and sounds in that decade. I never thought PJ would release a new album that I would love with as much excitement and certainty as the pre Riot Act days. I never thought PJ could really surprise me again. I certainly never expected a complete album that felt like a compelling work of art again. Gigaton exceeds every possible preconceived notion I had. I like or love every song. The only PJ album that I can definitively say that I like more is Binaural. Gigaton still sits as my second favorite PJ album, and that’s a shocking accomplishment 30 years into their career. Not only do I love Gigaton, it has reengaged me with the earlier music in a way that had been dormant for at least a decade.

I think, like TVG, I've gotten a lot more out of the last ten years than y'all have. Which is probably why, though I totally understand it, I don't relate as much to this sentiment.

I can’t stand most of Backspacer and Lightning Bolt, and I was definitely far less into PJ over the last decade because of it. And my musical taste have changed some and expanded to different bands and sounds in that decade. I never thought PJ would release a new album that I would love with as much excitement and certainty as the pre Riot Act days. I never thought PJ could really surprise me again. I certainly never expected a complete album that felt like a compelling work of art again. Gigaton exceeds every possible preconceived notion I had. I like or love every song. The only PJ album that I can definitively say that I like more is Binaural. Gigaton still sits as my second favorite PJ album, and that’s a shocking accomplishment 30 years into their career. Not only do I love Gigaton, it has reengaged me with the earlier music in a way that had been dormant for at least a decade.

I can’t stand most of Backspacer and Lightning Bolt, and I was definitely far less into PJ over the last decade because of it. And my musical taste have changed some and expanded to different bands and sounds in that decade. I never thought PJ would release a new album that I would love with as much excitement and certainty as the pre Riot Act days. I never thought PJ could really surprise me again. I certainly never expected a complete album that felt like a compelling work of art again. Gigaton exceeds every possible preconceived notion I had. I like or love every song. The only PJ album that I can definitively say that I like more is Binaural. Gigaton still sits as my second favorite PJ album, and that’s a shocking accomplishment 30 years into their career. Not only do I love Gigaton, it has reengaged me with the earlier music in a way that had been dormant for at least a decade.

I think Backspacer is basically a pleasant aside that suffers for not having anything to be an aside from (ie being the only release in a 7 year stretch), and Gigaton is currently 4th or 5th on my list, but otherwise this is me.

Can’t agree. Backspacer is absolutely vital coming after the previous. What Else were they going to do after ST? More of the same? Pretend it doesn’t exist and go ST then LB and you’ll see how dire the situation is without it and hopefully see how important it actually is.

I can certainly appreciate that not everyone is going to love this album, but i have a hard time imagining anyone lumping it in with the prior two albums.