Vanitas is the first thing that came to mind when I saw the cover art for the first time. I took a number of Art History classes while in college and wrote a paper or two on the concept.
I looked up the definitions in one of my art books so as to be accurate.

"Vanitas-An image, especially popular in Europe in the 17th century, in which all the objects symbolize the transience of life. Vanitas paintings are usually of still lifes or genre subjects.

It is a theme that shows the transeince of life which allows the painter to comment on the ephemeral quality of material things."

If you understand vanitas then you can start to make the connections with the newer Avett music and older for that matter. Think of some of their lyrics and how they talk about the lack of importance on material things and how somethings never last. That is vanitas. It is a reminder that nothing lasts whether it is rotting fruit or death of a person.

This is just my artistic take on the new art which is an amazing piece.