Mermaid Avenue, Vol. III

Released in 2012 as part of the 'Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions' box set, Volume III serves as the final curated collection of the Billy Bragg and Wilco collaboration. These tracks were originally recorded during the 1997-1998 sessions in Dublin and Chicago, where the artists set unrecorded Woody Guthrie lyrics to new music. While the first two volumes captured the more immediate and polished results of this experiment, Volume III highlights the more contemplative, folk-oriented, and sometimes raw sketches that remained. The album leans heavily into traditional Americana and country-rock, featuring standout vocal performances from Bragg that emphasize his softer, more melodic side compared to his solo political work. Critics, including those at AllMusic, noted that despite being 'leftovers,' the quality of the songwriting and the chemistry between the performers remains remarkably high, offering a more somber and cohesive folk experience than its predecessors.