Sing the Delta
by Iris DeMent
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Expert Witness (MSN Music)
    Oct 5, 2012
    91
    DeMent craves stuff she can "see and touch," but her songwriting makes do just fine with feeling.
  2. The Telegraph (UK)
    Nov 12, 2012
    90
    This is an album of rare truth and grace.
  3. Slant Magazine
    Nov 5, 2012
    90
    Sing the Delta... conveys a one-of-a-kind perspective that, somehow, manages to be as unassuming and humble as it is powerful and authoritative.
  5. Uncut
    Oct 26, 2012
    90
    A startling, inspirational comeback. [Dec 2012, p.68]
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  6. Chicago Tribune
    Oct 3, 2012
    88
    On this quiet beauty of an album, she once again makes a virtue of her modesty.
  7. Mojo
    Dec 17, 2012
    80
    This is real person-to-person music. [Jan 2013, p.95]
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  8. The Guardian
    Nov 1, 2012
    80
    This is her first album of new material in 16 years, but it sounds as powerful and timeless as anything she has done.
  9. NOW Magazine
    Oct 18, 2012
    80
    These are personal, contemporary story songs that centre on DeMent's signature plain delivery, the gospel-soul horn arrangements and the occasional wailed vocal
  10. PopMatters
    Oct 5, 2012
    80
    It's been 16 years since her last album of original material, and Sing the Delta is her weightiest album yet in that regard.
  11. Blurt Magazine
    Oct 4, 2012
    80
    Sweeping and stirring in its emotional depth, Sing the Delta happily finds DeMent testifying to her beliefs with feeling.
  12. Boston Globe
    Oct 3, 2012
    80
    Her patience has rewarded us with a work of rare, unvarnished grace and power.
  13. Rolling Stone
    Oct 19, 2012
    70
    These artisanal songs of love and doubt wear their homeliness proudly; the effect is like finding a bountiful farm stand in the middle of nowhere.
  14. AllMusic
    Oct 3, 2012
    70
    There's little that moves one to sing along here, unfortunately. The tempos are all slow, dramatic, and melancholy.
  15. American Songwriter
    Oct 3, 2012
    70
    Sing The Delta is as well-executed as it is welcome.
  16. Q Magazine
    Dec 11, 2012
    60
    While Sing The Delta isn't DeMent's best work, it's full of understated, sharply observed songs. [Jan 2013, p.102]
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  17. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Nov 5, 2012
    60
    DeMent cuts through the sheen with a simplicity that reaches back through decades.

Awards & Rankings

98
#98 Best Album of 2012

User Reviews

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User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. ShepRock
    Oct 29, 2012
    10
    Ms. DeMent's piano playing and gospel-tinged folk singing are nothing but beautiful inspiration for life's reflective and reverent moments.Ms. DeMent's piano playing and gospel-tinged folk singing are nothing but beautiful inspiration for life's reflective and reverent moments. There is a true feeling of heaven and home within.… Full Review »
  2. cssymons
    Dec 30, 2015
    9
    Getting back to her roots, Iris Dement's first album of original music in 16 years is a triumphant return. Her songs of heartbreak, love,Getting back to her roots, Iris Dement's first album of original music in 16 years is a triumphant return. Her songs of heartbreak, love, family, and religion are steeped in her childhood in the Arkansas Delta. Her songwriting is so personal and powerful you often need to listen to songs multiple times to fully appreciate their depth. Her voice may not be for everyone but is is perfect for the songs that she writes. Listening to Iris sing you will be moved. All I can say is that I hope that I don't have to wait another 16 years for the next album of her songwriting.… Full Review »