Author: Gillian G. Gaar

There’s a fair amount of moodiness on the album, like the mournful “I Thought It Was You,” it’s droning music creating a languid feeling until the marching beat of drums comes in and snaps you to attention.

Hear the phrase “psychedelic,” and one invariably thinks of the Summer of Love and putting flowers in one’s hair. But SCM have a sense of darkness about them, adding a little spice to the bliss. You won’t sign a sunshine-and-rainbows kind of trip with Sky Cries Mary. But it’s still a rewarding ride.

I suspect simply listening isn’t the best way to experience this music. Live appearances have the band performing in robes and masks, generating something far more theatrical and dynamic. But with the tour to promote this album currently on hold, you’re stuck with your own mental movies that these sounds conjure up, as we await their live return.

This is a band of great passion. The closing track, “Doing Great! Never Better!,” a plea to not be left alone, is sweet in its vulnerability. It also belies Rivera’s declaration “I don’t know if I care” in the sprightly-titled “All Choices End in Death.” Nonsense. Anyone who sings with such intensity has to care. If you like powerful, pummeling rock, check out this album. And don’t overlook the lyrics. 

It’s a glorious musical stew that draws on psychedelic rock, glam, a bit of hard rock here, a dash of pop rock there, all swirled together and reworked to come out all shiny and new.

Treason gets you energized, but in these imperiled times you also don’t want to let that energy go to waste. Want to send those smiling faces on the album’s cover packing? The power rests with you.

“Gigaton” has a double meaning as the title of Pearl Jam’s 11th studio album. The literal meaning refers to a weight of one billion tons. But it’s also a reference to the band’s work ethic; they do, indeed, gig a ton.

This is an album that celebrates the rich natural beauty of planet earth in general, and the Pacific Northwest in particular. Born and bred in one of Washington state’s quiet little backwaters, teeming with life and mystery.