Crossing Dragon Bridge is a 2008 studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Steve Wynn, inspired by Slovenia. The album has received positive reviews from critics.
Reception
Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Thom Jurek writing that Wynn's trip to Slovenia led him to "come up with an astonishing collection of very diverse tunes that were different than anything he'd ever written or recorded before" resulting in "the most sophisticated thing he's ever recorded" that is "a songwriter's album but one that is full of surprise, delight, and a sense of poetry that is wiry, tough, and tender" and "Wynn's masterpiece".[1] Allison Stewart of No Depression called this album "almost certainly [Wynn's] best in fifteen years, if not ever", characterizing it as a "spartan folk album with overlays of choirs, string sections and various effects, it’s echoey and hallucinatory and displaced-feeling, both kin to and totally unlike anything Wynn has ever done".[2] In The Oklahoman, Gene Triplett stated that Crossing Dragon Bridge is "one of the most intimate collections yet" by Wynn.[3] Thomas Bond of Phoenix New Times called this release a "tasteful mix of Americana and Eastern European sounds, woven tightly together by Wynn's always compelling narratives" and stated that long-time listeners to Wynn's music are rewarded by his growth as a songwriter.[4] Editors at PopMatters, this was chosen as the best singer-songwriter album of 2008 and Michael Keefe called it "an unusually acoustic-leaning and sophisticated sounding release for" Wynn[5] and a dedicated review by Jennifer Kelly saw her rating this release an 8 out of 10, praising the "subdued, backwards-looking tone, with Wynn trading the garage rock of his last three albums for a palette of strings, acoustic guitar, choral vocals, and drums" with moods varying from "weathered optimism" to "rockers [that] are downright fun, the kind of sly, shivery psychedelic grooves that Wynn has been perfecting for decades".[6] Sender of Tiny Mix Tapes gave this release a 3.5 out of 5 for its "darkly-shaded Americana" that is "is confident and prodigious as a piece of songwriting" but lacks some emotion and has murky production.[7]
Track listing
All songs written by Steve Wynn, except where noted.
