Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best of 2009
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000
Best of the Decade
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
75
2562
54
30 Seconds to Mars
62
50 Cent
71
AC/DC
67
The Album Leaf
52
Kris Allen
68
Tori Amos
66
Animal Collective
84
Animal Collective![]()
77
Annie
57
Apse
63
Asobi Seksu
59
Bad Lieutenant
83
Julianna Barwick![]()
82
Beach House![]()
72
Beak>
72
Bibio
65
Justin Bieber
76
Biffy Clyro
74
Blakroc
75
Mary J. Blige
78
Blockhead
52
Bon Jovi
54
Susan Boyle
57
The Bravery
39
Chris Brown
64
V.V. Brown
70
Basia Bulat
79
Chew Lips
74
Citay
65
Clipse
66
Cold War Kids
75
The Cribs
58
Dashboard Confessional
81
Dave Rawlings Machine![]()
70
Delphic
78
The Doors
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
73
Edan
59
Editors
69
Eels
80
Felt
74
First Aid Kit
69
Flyleaf
83
Four Tet![]()
82
Ben Frost![]()
82
Fucked Up![]()
83
Charlotte Gainsbourg![]()
63
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
68
Githead
65
Joe Goddard
58
Good Shoes
72
Gucci Mane
75
Holopaw
82
Jesca Hoop![]()
79
Hot Chip
72
The Hot Rats
88
Ray Wylie Hubbard![]()
54
Hurricane Chris
66
Allison Iraheta
59
Jay Sean
82
Freedy Johnston![]()
57
Nick Jonas And The Administration
73
Norah Jones
49
Juvenile
58
Ke$ha
62
R. Kelly
66
Alicia Keys
68
Kid Sister
81
King Midas Sound![]()
63
Lady Antebellum
76
Lady GaGa
71
Adam Lambert
78
Lawrence Arabia
61
Leona Lewis
70
Lightspeed Champion
36
Lil Wayne
82
Lindstrom & Christabelle![]()
77
Lissie
78
Los Campesinos!
70
Lostprophets
73
Magnetic Fields
71
Massive Attack
64
John Mayer
71
Paul McCartney
58
Katherine McPhee
86
Memory Tapes![]()
72
Midlake
88
Motion City Soundtrack![]()
63
Mr. Hudson
53
Mudvayne
75
Oh No Ono
70
OK Go
72
Ola Podrida
61
OneRepublic
80
Owen Pallett
90
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers![]()
60
Pit Er Pat
63
Priestess
70
Radian
79
Corinne Bailey Rae
54
Rakim
79
Real Estate
77
Retribution Gospel Choir
76
Rihanna
64
Rjd2
65
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
76
Sade
77
Gil Scott-Heron
72
Shakira
82
Shining![]()
61
Snoop Dogg
62
Snow Patrol
71
The Soft Pack
80
Spoon
64
Ringo Starr
59
Stereophonics
76
Angie Stone
79
Surfer Blood
74
Switchfoot
75
Them Crooked Vultures
74
Robin Thicke
50
Timbaland
79
tUnE-YaRDs
80
Vampire Weekend
79
Laura Veirs
79
Tom Waits
78
Wale
66
Kanye West
76
The Whitefield Brothers
64
Robbie Williams
80
Yeasayer
62
Young Money
75
Neil Young
61
Rob Zombie
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
The Creek Drank The Cradle

Universal acclaim
Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 24 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Sub Pop
Release Date: 24 September 2002
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Indie, Rock
Summary
Written, recorded and performed entirely by Miami, Fla-based Samuel Beam, 'The Creek Drank The Cradle' is the debut album for Iron & Wine, a largely lo-fi, acoustic affair with a darker take on folk and bluegrass.
Also By This Artist: Around The Well Our Endless Numbered Days The Shepherd's Dog Woman King [EP]
Also On Metacritic
MUSIC: Iron & Wine + Calexico: In The Reins [EP]
Also On The Web: Official I&W Site Sub Pop
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The Onion (A.V. Club)
It would be a mistake to call the result "lo-fi": For all the songs' elemental ingredients, Beam is a gifted producer, imbuing The Creek Drank The Cradle with both breeziness and portent, subtlety and simplicity.
Read Full Review >Salon.com
Spartan and unadorned, the naked sincerity of the record is heartbreaking.
Read Full Review >Delusions of Adequacy
Though it is not overtly innovative in its instrumentation or approach, The Creek Drank the Cradle is composed and performed with such an inclusive, intimate voice that the album is extremely accessible, even personal.
Read Full Review >Mojo
Beam's evocation of elemental themes and dramas is too profound and affecting to deny. [Jan 2003, p.92]
Flak Magazine
For a plodding, semi-mopey bit of understated blues, it's hard to beat.
Read Full Review >Splendid
The Creek Drank the Cradle is very surreal, mythical, haunting; it creates a mood of warmth and comfort, and makes me feel as if I've been transported to another, far more peaceful plane of existence.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
An acquired taste. [Mar 2003, p.109]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Brian F. gave it a10:
Simply the best album I have ever owned. Musically gorgeous, lyrically brilliant, and grippingly sincere. Buy this now.
L M gave it a6:
Pretty dull, uninspired lyrics, do your self a favour and get a couple of andrew bird albums instead.
melody f gave it a10:
my favorite album
drew i gave it a10:
good stuff
kyle n gave it a10:
great music
lell lell gave it a10:
i love it!
Seth C gave it a10:
Sam Beam's finest hour. The hushed home production compliments his songs much better than his later, duller albums.
