Alexandra Hope, while Lion of Panjshir included a multi-array of instruments in "Crazy for You" like sitar, tabla and acoustic guitar, with lead singer Ariana Delawari belting in breathy vocals. The Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-influenced version of "Live to Tell" was created by the Winter Flowers, with "desert sunset atmosphere, noodly guitar fills, epic solos, and gorgeous harmonies sung by [lead singers] Astrid Quay and Gavin Toler". Critical reception Deusner gave the album a rating of 7 out of 10, complimenting the release by adding that, "Madonna is an ideal candidate for the tribute album treatment, having already inspired several in the past but none [are] quite as sturdy or as much fun as Through the Wilderness". However he felt that few of the songs were "uninspired", like Drag's version of "Oh Father" and Bubonic Plague's rendition of Who's That Girl. Jon Caramanica from Spin also gave a positive review, saying that the album captures "Madonna's vivacious side, but [reminds that she was] desperate too". He particularly commended "Crazy for You", saying that "the last 30 seconds of [the track is] chilling—frontwoman Ariana Delawari and her traditional Afghan backing accelerate feverishly, breaking the sweat Madonna never quite did, or could". Bruce Scott from Prefix rated the album 6 on 10, and opined that "in patches" the record holds up well as a tribute release. He listed the tracks "Into the Groove", "Everybody" and "La Isla Bonita" as highlights, but criticized the cover of the ballads which he felt diminished the quality. "Through the Wilderness reminds that these [tracks] can withstand some reinventing no matter how minimal or lo-fi the arrangement, because the songs themselves are strong," Scott concluded. Chris Morgan from Treble noticed the lack of coherence in the album, but complimented the attention bestowed on giving prominence to the "hook and peppiness" of the songs. However, he still found that "be it because their sound is not right for covering such an act or because they let their imagination run a little too wild for the sake of the art of reinterpretation, the creativity is vulnerable to quickly becoming a gimmick." He listed "Oh Father" and "Like a Prayer" as two highlights, describing them as the "most resonant". Track listing Personnel Credits and personnel adapted from AllMusic. Apollo Heights – producer, performer Linda Beecroft – drums, vocals P. Brown – composer Bubonic Plague – producer, performer Justin Burrill