Heaven
by The Walkmen
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
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  1. Q Magazine
    Oct 12, 2012
    80
    The Walkmen are inching closer to the mainstream, while remaining utterly distinctive. [Jul 2012, p.112]
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  2. The Fly (UK)
    Jun 29, 2012
    80
    A gentle collection, evocative of a transitional time.
  3. Magnet
    Jun 19, 2012
    80
    That this LP is less summit than plateau says more about the level of past work than anything lacking from this one. [No.88 p.61]
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  5. cokemachineglow
    Jun 15, 2012
    77
    Heaven is more like a classic Sunday morning album: a modest, extremely laid back paean to the comforts of domesticity in which every song sounds like it was recorded from a rocking chair.
  6. The Quietus
    Jun 14, 2012
    80
    Personal, moving, poetic, humorous, and engaging.
  7. Entertainment Weekly
    Jun 11, 2012
    83
    The lovely brooders are at their most joyous and effervescent on their seventh album. [15 Jun 2012, p.82]
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  8. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Jun 7, 2012
    80
    It's thrilling to feel all the hooks in this thing; one gets to feeling all Hellraisery, exploding with joy everywhichway.
  9. No Ripcord
    Jun 6, 2012
    70
    Heaven may be one of the Walkmen's more detached efforts thus far. For a band that's been exercising their rollicking sway with a deft ear, it's a shame that there's only space for one real heart tugger, like in No One Ever Sleeps
  10. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jun 6, 2012
    80
    Heavenly.
  11. Prefix Magazine
    Jun 6, 2012
    85
    Well-worn, well-defined, Heaven is the work of band with nothing left to prove.
  12. DIY Magazine
    Jun 5, 2012
    90
    There may well be no such thing as a ten out of ten album, a level of perfection and flawlessness that is by all likelihood totally unobtainable; but it's hard to imagine anyone coming closer than these five men from New York.
  13. Clash Music
    Jun 5, 2012
    80
    Twelve years after their formation, the East Coast five-piece have created their finest album to date.
  14. Dusted Magazine
    Jun 4, 2012
    80
    It's good to hear a group continue to challenge themselves without kicking their strengths to the curb.
  15. Sputnikmusic
    Jun 4, 2012
    90
    There's a depth to these tunes, one that comes not out of fast nights and wrecked relationships but the hindsight and experience of age; it's a well that, thankfully, seems to be getting deeper and deeper.
  16. Uncut
    Jun 1, 2012
    80
    The Walkmen are weathering the iPhone age with panache. [Jul 2012, p.85]
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  17. Alternative Press
    Jun 1, 2012
    80
    On any other Walkmen album, just the hooky brilliance of the title track could be enough to declare this set a success, but there's never been one quite like this before.
  18. Drowned In Sound
    Jun 1, 2012
    90
    Heaven takes another firm and measured stride forward in what is rapidly becoming a celebratory jog towards brilliance: a re-affirmation of what heart, skill, craft and guile can birth given time and experience.
  19. Beats Per Minute
    Jun 1, 2012
    80
    Thoroughly enjoyable from front to back, Heaven oozes confidence and polish.
  20. American Songwriter
    May 31, 2012
    70
    Fleet Foxes producer/engineer/mixer Phil Ek warms up the band's previously chilly sound to yield arguably their best, and certainly most accomplished album yet.
  21. Paste Magazine
    May 30, 2012
    84
    Heaven is a testament to The Walkmen's triumph.
  22. AllMusic
    May 29, 2012
    80
    Heaven comes across as a more or less triumphant culmination of the Walkmen's first decade, and the fact that happiness fits the band better than anyone could have expected is just a welcome bonus.
  23. PopMatters
    May 29, 2012
    70
    [A] sunburst of a record.
  24. The A.V. Club
    May 29, 2012
    91
    After 10 years and seven albums, Heaven finds The Walkmen in a better place.
  25. Filter
    May 29, 2012
    84
    It's simply one of the best rock records of our so-far shallow year.
  26. Under The Radar
    May 29, 2012
    70
    That palpable sense of urgency on display throughout their catalogue is on display far too little. That said, the album is still a top-notch collection of songs.
  27. Rolling Stone
    May 29, 2012
    70
    Their most expansive LP [to date].
  28. BBC Music
    May 25, 2012
    80
    Heaven is a record with the power to grab your heart, like an ex-lover you just can't shake off--no matter how many years you've been without them.
  29. musicOMH.com
    May 25, 2012
    90
    This disc proves that their ascension to lofty heights is complete and something heavenly indeed.
  30. NOW Magazine
    May 25, 2012
    80
    A couple of lifeless slower numbers bring the album to a crawl midway through, but they ultimately add balance to all the smart, uptempo rockers.
  31. Pitchfork
    May 25, 2012
    81
    With Heaven, they've turned out a record that finds a thousand affecting variations on contented hum.

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Most Shared Album of 2012

User Reviews

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User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 53 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 53
  3. Negative: 3 out of 53
  1. 2hip2beahipster
    May 29, 2012
    9
    With the last two albums that the Walkmen have put out (including this one) they have become one of the best - not only indie - bands out inWith the last two albums that the Walkmen have put out (including this one) they have become one of the best - not only indie - bands out in the industry. There are a few things that set them apart, and one of the major things being lead vocalist Hamilton Leithauser's very distinctive voice. Over time, Hamilton's voice has changed from an extremely raspy and unpredictable yell, to a more controlled, still raspy, croon which team up so well with the re-verb guitars in this album. Tracks like "Heartbreaker" and the title track "Heaven" exemplify this the best. The Walkmen have always been at their best when they were playing and screaming as loud as they can, and this album has a few songs that show that. However, the opening track "We Can't Be Beat" with Leithauser's croon, and incredible harmonies, and a shift in tempo's in the song really open up a new door for this band. The Walkmen have become better as they mature, not running out of ideas and not afraid to try out a few new things. This album is incredibly beautiful, and will most likely be soundtrack to many summers.… Full Review »
  2. MuzzleOfBees
    Oct 9, 2013
    10
    The best band in the world gets better with age, something I never would have predicted a decade ago when I lovingly clutched that copy ofThe best band in the world gets better with age, something I never would have predicted a decade ago when I lovingly clutched that copy of Bows & Arrows to my chest. It's a long way from "The Rat" to "Heaven" but it's a distance I've travelled myself it's been the soundtrack of my life, and to have connected so resonantly with another band (after The Smiths in my early teens) feels like a blessing I do not deserve in such richness.… Full Review »
  3. idiotwind
    Jul 13, 2012
    8
    Yet another solid, utterly satisfying record from the Walkmen, dominated once more (in the best sense of the word) by Leithauser's vocals. TheYet another solid, utterly satisfying record from the Walkmen, dominated once more (in the best sense of the word) by Leithauser's vocals. The singer's voice is more tender here than on earlier records, which works especially well on slower songs, such as "Southern Heart" and "Line by Line". Of course, the album still features its fair share of belted-out vocal lines ("We Can't Be Beat", "Heaven"). This is an enjoyable album from start to finish, mixing the band's trademark retro vibe with enough variety to retain the interest of new listeners and Walkmen veterans alike. This album doesn't experiment as much as it capitalizes on a successful formula, which is completely fine by me.… Full Review »
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