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Washington Square Serenade
by Steve Earle


8.6

based on 25 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 12 votes
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Rate this album

Official Artist Site

Steve Earle's latest album features his wife Allison Moorer, as well as the Brazilian group Forro in the Dark.

LABEL:	New West
RELEASE DATE:	25 September 2007
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Rock, Country

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

The Onion (A.V. Club)

An angry Steve Earle is something to behold, but watch out for the man when he's in love.

Entertainment Weekly

This is a love letter to his new home. [28 Sep 2007, p.105]

Hartford Courant

The prettiest moments here come on less characteristic musings, such as the shifting perspective of 'Down Here Below.'

Uncut

It's all invigorating, wonderful stuff.

Amazon.com

While the raw, raging blues of 'Red Is the Color' ranks with Earle's most powerful music, 'Satellite Radio' could well be the slightest (as well as perhaps a plug for Earle's own radio show), but the artist's willingness to take chances attests to a restless creativity that refuses to be corralled.

Billboard

Serenade is most compelling when Earle snarls in his irrefutable way at Middle East warmakers ('Jericho Road') and rural drug pushers ('Oxycontin Blues').

Blender

Movement and change remain his inspiration. [Oct 2007, p.107]

NOW Magazine

Accompanying his gruff voice with a bleary-eyed strum, he's probably more potent and alive on Serenade than many would expect.

Observer Music Monthly

This album proves that when Earle reconnects to the sheer joy of making music the results can be powerful.

Q Magazine

Washington Square Serenade is prime Americana. [Nov 2007, p.137]

Magnet

For all his anger, the most convincing songs on Washington Square Serenade are about love, devotion, messing up and simply wanting to be heard. [Fall 2007, p.93]

The Phoenix

There’s an urban-informed edge to much of the disc.

Hot Press

Washington Square Serenade is another substantial chapter in what looks like becoming an epic songbook.

Los Angeles Times

Even though there are moments in this outing heavy on tried-and-true folk trappings--lots of mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar--in which Earle sounds more as if he's echoing his role models than joining them as an equal, for the most part he succeeds in moving the dialogue forward.

All Music Guide

Washington Square Serenade ultimately sounds a bit less focused than its immediate predecessors.

Lost At Sea

All things considered, Washington Square Serenade is a bit nonchalant by Earle's standards.

Mojo

Aside from the occasional mistep this is a finely balanced collection. [Nov 2007, p.92]

PopMatters

Earle has come at us with another solid album that further cements his place in modern music as one of the great songwriters still swingin’ his hammer.

Rolling Stone

Production by Dust Brother John King notwithstanding, it impacts just like any other Steve Earle record--lyrics first.

Spin

He's reworking his own territory. Which is why we expected the song about sweaty illegals to have a better twisted ending than "all of is are immigrants," and the tune about meth addiction to fell, well, lived in. [Oct 2007, p.100]

Boston Globe

It's still a decent album, but it's also an opportunity lost.

Slant Magazine

Earle racks up more wins than losses on Washington Square Serenade, but while the high points are in line with his best work, he didn't dispose of his excess baggage before the move.

Pitchfork

The rest of Washington Square Serenade ranges from good ('Days Aren't Long Enough,'a duet with wife Allison Moorer) to merely serviceable ('Red Is the Color').

Austin Chronicle

Overall, there's very little that's alluring about this Serenade.

Under The Radar

Washington Square Serenade is an utterly unlistenable failure. [Fall 2007, p.87]

The average user rating for this album is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Brandon S. gave it a7:
Much better on the third listen than the first. He's definitely not at the peak we saw him at from Train A Comin' through Jerusalem (Transcendental blues is a masterpiece among masterpieces), but Steve's an incredible songwriter, and this set is pretty solid. His sense of melody isn't quite as sharp here as on previous albums, but it definitely delivers the goods in a number of ways.

George B. gave it an8:
Another fine recording from one of the most underated songwriters out there. Steve's biggest sin is is consistency, another fine recording with heartfelt lyrics underpinned with folk, rock, and beats.

Rich R. gave it a9:
I love Steve Earle and his music, and nobody out there, for me, comes close to his ability to convey his emotions in such a literate, lyrical, and melodic manner. This album is full of great songs; all of his albums are full of great songs. He's one of America's most intelligent and soulful performers. He reminds me a little of Keith: with all the s*** he's put himself through, he probably should have been dead a long time ago, but he just gets better as he gets older. So, last but not least, I think he needs to do something with his hair, but I love him anyway.

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Washington Square Serenade by Steve Earle

Washington Square Serenade
by Steve Earle