Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land - Dave Alvin
Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land Image
Metascore
82 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Summary: Former Blaster Dave Alvin offers an album of traditional American music (each song having passed into the public domain).

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. All Music Guide
    90
    Dave Alvin brings an authentic voice and extraordinary understanding to his chosen tracks.... This is the work of a scholar as well as a master craftsman.
  2. HOB.com
    80
    Alvin injects these historic tunes with his own modern flavoring that keeps them fresh in light of their aging repose.
  3. Sonicnet
    80
    The resonant and smooth singing takes some getting used to if you're familiar with earlier, craggier, quirkier recordings, but by the gallant train-wreck tragedy of "Engine 143", I found myself singing along.
  4. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    58
    It's not that these songs are all obvious or overdone--this nonfolkie had never heard a few of them. It's that they're so soft they squish even when Alvin tries to rev one past you, which usually he doesn't.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. jerryb
    9
    great concept for a folk disc. the beauty of this disc is how it plays at live shows. Dave did a lot of research for this and has added his own flavor. a big thumbs up here… Collapse
  2. Hein
    8
    Good record and a great live preformance

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