Rock is once again in the spotlight as one of rock’s biggest bands, Pearl Jam, returns with a new album, “Dark Matter.”

Pearl Jam—singer Eddie Vedder, guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, bassist Jeff Ament, and drummer Matt Cameron—is already on album number 12 and returns with a magnificent set of rock numbers whose energy rivals their early days.

“Scared Of Fear” sets up the vibe with an Ed vocal that seems to come out of a megaphone. As it goes, we are re-introduced to the band one by one: Stone, Jeff, and Matt in rhythmic lockstep. McCready with his sharp lead lines take us back as Vedder sings: ‘We used to laugh, we used to sing / we used to dance, we were our own scene.'

PJ returned just in time. We love pop in all its forms, but we needed to be reminded how rock is done, and we couldn’t have hoped for a better band to show how it’s supposed to be: with urgency and the frenetic energy of “React, Respond.”

“Dark Matter” has in its DNA, proper 90s rock that recalls early Pearl Jam. Those who lived in the era of 90s alternative rock will be pleased to know that they don’t have to live in some faraway past or memory where bands played loud through cranked-up amps and pent-up angst to get their message across. It’s here in “Dark Matter,” and all you have to do is dial it in.

There’s the big, chorus-y, and jangly “Wreckage,” the alt-rock heavy “Dark Matter,” the fresh-sounding “Won’t Tell,” and the vibing (Binaural-era sounding) “Upper Hand.”

Producer Andrew Watt is the new big component for Pearl Jam this time. Besides being at the production helm for “Dark Matter,” Watt also wrote music for Pearl Jam and played piano, keyboards, and guitar. It’s a rare instance for Eddie Vedder and company, alongside founders Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, who wrote most of the material for Pearl Jam for decades. As for his contributions, Watt said that he’s been preparing for this moment ever since and that he sees writing music for PJ as a fan who’s loved the music all these years. To this, Vedder said of Watt: “He uses his power for good.”

Vedder also expressed that he was surprised at how good the band sounded and how Andrew Watt was easily able to assimilate the band. And to keep the momentum and energy going to make the new album. More importantly, Vedder was glad to hear the sound coming from the speaker after finishing each song. And what a sound it is. “Everything is louder than everything else,” Vedder exclaims in one interview describing the sound of “Dark Matter,” adding “Every instrument has its lane,” referring to the quality of the new album, particularly the mixing, and he’s correct. The sound as a whole is large, but focus on one aspect of it, say Jeff's bass, for example, and it’s like a spotlight has been turned onto Ament's rhythmic pieces, which is saying a lot for Andrew Watt’s production.

Points of interest include “Waiting For Stevie,” the punk energy of “Running,” and the country-tinged “Something Special," a song about parenting and the hope that children can navigate the challenges of the world when they leave the nest.  “Dark Matter” has eleven songs in all, including uplifting pop-tinged “Got To Give” and apropos album closer “Setting Sun.”

“No lack of good material,” as Ed Vedder said.

All in for that.