Rolling Stone (2/19/98, pp.55-56) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...even the rockers have an uncommonly easy touch that's new to Pearl Jam....Vedder is singing more frankly about his life as an adult....shows that Pearl Jam have made the most out of growing up in public..."

Spin (3/98, p.129) - 8 (out of 10) - "...Part touchstone, part pariah, Pearl Jam have tried arty gestures; they've ostentatiously declined to rock; and now they've come back with an album full of gracefully ambivalent anthems. All commodities should be this unstable, and have this much blood pumping through them."

Entertainment Weekly (2/6/98, pp.58-59) - "...an intermittently affecting album that veers between fiery garage rock and rootsy, acoustic-based ruminations. Perhaps mindful of their position as the last alt-rock ambassadors with any degree of clout, they've come up with their most cohesive album since their 1991 debut, TEN..." - Rating: B

NME (Magazine) (1/31/98, p.44) - 7 (out of 10) - "...Here's where Pearl Jam put on their diverse boots and stomp across their bluesy roots, careering through various styles and pop-mongous strops..."