Hard Line (album)

The album was produced by Jeff Eyrich, who had attended the same high school as brothers Dave and Phil Alvin, the band's main songwriter and lead vocalist, respectively.^[7][8] John Cougar Mellencamp wrote and produced one song; Mellencamp's producer, Don Gehman, produced "Just Another Sunday".^[7] The album was recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville.^[9] Stan Lynch, David Hidalgo, and Larry Taylor appear on Hard Line.^[10]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
Christgau's Record Guide	A[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[14]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	7/10[15]

Trouser Press wrote that the "highlights include 'Trouble Bound' and 'Help You Dream', both featuring the Jordanaires."^[16] The Washington Post thought that "Dave Alvin's songwriting has grown dramatically -- the melodies are finally as prominent as the rhythms, and the lyrics tell the hand-me-down stories of the best folk songs."^[7] The Chicago Tribune called Dave Alvin "one of the most underrated lyricists in popular music."^[17] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "the Blasters [have] become secure enough musically to lower the instrumental voltage and let Phil Alvin’s vocals take center stage."^[18] The Sun Sentinel opined that "the Blasters sound as if they took a long trip through the United States and sponged up every pop music form they ran into."^[19]

All tracks written by Dave Alvin, except where noted.