"The inclusion of a live "Souls Like the Wheels"-not as a bonus track, but right in the thick of things-lends the record a hodge-podge feel, and gives credence to suspicions that the record isn't much more than a collection of leftovers rather than a proper eighth studio album. Sure, it's a decent bunch of leftovers and will likely appeal to Avetts dreamers who prefer the brothers serene and misty-eyed. For everyone else, Magpie and the Dandelion is competently played, handsomely arranged, and fairly boring".