Critterland

Critterland
Studio album by Willi Carlisle
Released	January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)
Genre	Country folk
Length	42:26
Label	Signature Sounds
Producer	Darrell Scott
Willi Carlisle chronology
Peculiar, Missouri (2022) Critterland (2024)

Critterland is the third studio album by American folk singer Willi Carlisle, released on January 26, 2024, through Signature Sounds Recordings. It received acclaim from critics.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	85/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Paste	7.5/10 [2]
PopMatters	8/10 [3]
Slant Magazine	[4]

Critterland received a score of 85 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". ^[1] Tom Williams of Slant Magazine wrote that "Carlisle is a singular artist and that Critterland is a worthy addition to the canon of country-folk classics". ^[4] Steve Horowitz of PopMatters commented that "nine of the ten songs are three-to-four-minute ditties sung over traditional-style strings" as "Carlisle croons in a clear voice layered with dust. He clearly articulates the words and emphasizes the important ones. The details matter." ^[3]

Paste 's Eric R. Danton found that the album "doesn't have the same sweeping scope as its predecessor", 2022's Peculiar, Missouri, but "he digs deeper on Critterland, an album that is more about making the best of heavy circumstances". ^[2] John Moore of Glide Magazine described it as "a much broader lyrical and musically ambitious album than the last outing, occasionally great and occasionally, well, a little too overwhelming". ^[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Willi Carlisle; "When the Pills Wear Off" co-written by Billy Keane.

Critterland track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Critterland"	4:09
2.	"Dry County Dust"	4:27
3.	"The Arrangements"	4:31
4.	"The Great Depression"	3:21
5.	"Two-Headed Lamb"	3:39
6.	"Higher Lonesome"	4:25
7.	"I Want No Children"	2:40
8.	"Jaybird"	3:53
9.	"When the Pills Wear Off"	4:10
10.	"The Money Grows on Trees"	7:11
Total length:		42:26

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. ^[6]

• Willi Carlisle – vocals (all tracks), harmonica (1, 4, 6), banjo (1, 4, 8), button box (1, 5), guitar (2, 3, 6, 9), flatpicked guitar (4), fiddle (7)
• Darrell Scott – pedal steel guitar (1, 2); guitar, dulcimer (1, 8); lap steel (3, 6, 8), baritone guitar (3), fingerpicked guitar (4), mandolin (6), banjo (7), vocals (8), piano (9), front-porch banjo (10)
• Jude Brothers – vocals (7)
• Jonathan Yudkin – strings (9)

References

1. "Critterland by Willi Carlisle Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved January 27, 2024.
2. Danton, Eric R. (January 26, 2024). "Willi Carlisle: Critterland Album Review". Paste . Retrieved January 28, 2024.
3. Horowitz, Steve (January 24, 2024). "Willi Carlisle Brings Out the Human Animal in Critterland". PopMatters . Retrieved January 28, 2024.
4. Williams, Tom (January 22, 2024). "Willi Carlisle Critterland Review: Making Space for Radical Honesty". Slant Magazine . Retrieved January 27, 2024.
5. Moore, John (January 23, 2024). "Willi Carlisle Explores Backroads of America with Ambitious Folk Sounds on Critterland (Album Review)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
6. Critterland (Media notes). Willi Carlisle. Signature Sounds. January 26, 2024.