Cruel Inventions is the sixth studio album by American singer and songwriter Sam Phillips.

Cruel Inventions received mostly favorable reviews from critics.

At Entertainment Weekly, David Browne gave the album an A, writing that it "...is fraught with both beauty and tension, making it one of the year's most beguiling records.

"[5] Browne named it his sixth favorite album of 1991.

[6] All tracks are written by Sam Phillips