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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

The Creek Drank The Cradle

EMAILPRINTby Iron & Wine

Iron & Wine reviews
87
8.9 User Score:

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.

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...

100

Junkmedia

Worthy of any superlative you can throw its way.

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90

All Music Guide

A stunning debut and one of the best records of 2002.

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90

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.

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90

Salon.com

Spartan and unadorned, the naked sincerity of the record is heartbreaking.

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90

Dusted Magazine

[A] seemingly out-of-nowhere collection of quiet masterpieces.

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90

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.

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89

Austin Chronicle

An astonishing debut.

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81

Pitchfork

The Creek Drank the Cradle is made of small epiphanies.

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80

Mojo

Beam's evocation of elemental themes and dramas is too profound and affecting to deny. [Jan 2003, p.92]

80

Flak Magazine

For a plodding, semi-mopey bit of understated blues, it's hard to beat.

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80

Rolling Stone

The ambiguity in the songs adds to their haunting quality.

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80

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.

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79

Stylus Magazine

An album of quiet, introspective folk music.

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60

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.

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