Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam J Records, 2006

Aka The Avocado Cover. In truth, the fruit was the only thing that really distinguished it from 2000’s Binaural, 2002’s Riot Act and 2009’s Backspacer, a run of albums that found Pearl Jam in a holding pattern, albeit a high-quality one.

Their records were still great, but they were no longer indispensible.

The opening pair of Life Wasted and World Wide Suicide were fuzzy and propulsive, while Gone provided the requisite moment of quiet reflection. But the urgency that once drove Pearl Jam seemed to be concentrated in their gigs and their countless live recordings.