Pearl Jam

Lightning Bolt J Records, 2013

Pearl Jam’s most recent studio album was their best in 15 years. That was in part down to Sirens, a chiming, unadorned love song that provided a completely different emotional punch to the great ballads of Ten, Vs. and Vitalogy.

But this was more than just a one-song record. The rocketfuelled Mind Your Manners found Stone Gossard and Mike McCready letting loose with some unembarrassed soloing, My Father’s Son benefitted from the presence of keyboard player/unofficial sixth member Boom Gasper, and closing track Future carried emotional weight without being dragged under by it.