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WE
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73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 99 Ratings

  • Summary: The sixth full-length release for Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire is its final one with Will Butler, who left the band after the album was completed.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 29
  3. Negative: 1 out of 29
  1. The Telegraph (UK)
    May 5, 2022
    100
    WE is their sixth album, and every bit as good as their best. ... With a work as ambitious and boldly realised as WE, Arcade Fire know they have nothing to fear by inviting comparison to rock’s all-time greats.
  2. DIY Magazine
    May 6, 2022
    90
    It’s clear that these songs have a real and sincere heart, designed to both stir and soothe the soul in one fell swoop.
  3. The Observer (UK)
    May 9, 2022
    80
    A welcome return to form.
  4. Exclaim
    May 4, 2022
    70
    Nothing here quite scratches the itch of both emotional catharsis and rapturous splendour the way Arcade Fire's best songs do, but after a few initial attempts at capturing our collective panic and frustration, they have finally managed to pull it off by seeing themselves as part of the problem, by putting themselves in the line of fire, and by sharing the coping strategies and counterarguments that get them through and putting them into song.
  5. AllMusic
    May 6, 2022
    70
    While not as immediately accessible as the all-star run of their first three albums, WE will at least be a course-corrector for fans still alienated by Everything Now and the underrated Reflektor, a satisfying journey that realigns the band's heart and soul.
  6. Record Collector
    May 23, 2022
    60
    If Everything Now’s readings of media-age malaise leant towards the grindingly obvious, WE is a partial improvement, give or take singer Win Butler’s occasional clunking takes on modern-life exhaustion.
  7. The Quietus
    May 6, 2022
    30
    It opens with a piano motif that could’ve come straight from Chris Martin’s candle-scented fingers. The matching vocals are so annoyingly whispered, they practically qualify as ASMR. Halfway through, the song changes tack and starts courting the modern market for anxiety pop. ... More specifically, it makes you think, “Does this sound like a needy Mercury Rev, a ham-fisted Grandaddy, or Wings without the easy-going self-awareness?

See all 29 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 37
  3. Negative: 2 out of 37
  1. robert1181
    May 6, 2022
    10
    Awesome album, their best in a decade. Highlights are Age of Anxiety I, End of The Empire I-IV, The Lightning I-II, and Unconditional II (RaceAwesome album, their best in a decade. Highlights are Age of Anxiety I, End of The Empire I-IV, The Lightning I-II, and Unconditional II (Race and Religion).… Expand
  2. Jchalus
    Jun 23, 2022
    10
    I have spent a lot of time with this album and it’s genius slowly reveals itself. I think the album is excellent from start to finish, not aI have spent a lot of time with this album and it’s genius slowly reveals itself. I think the album is excellent from start to finish, not a weak track on the album. As with many Arcade Fire albums it is profound, often touching and heartfelt and completely cohesive. The brilliance of this album is its ability to tease you with what you want. You can feel it coming and building, but the band only gives you 30 seconds of the good stuff, leaving you wanting more - and I keep coming back and back.

    Most bands (even great ones) have exhausted their creative potential after, at best, 3 to 4 albums. Arcade Fire continues to release albums that show their depth and creativity. Oddly, it feels as though perhaps the best is yet to come with this band. This album is just another brilliant chapter in their catalog.    … Expand
  4. CharlieL
    May 6, 2022
    10
    This is among their best works. Thoughtful, even dark, lyrics with well constructed music. Very theatrical in a sense. I am sure will dislikeThis is among their best works. Thoughtful, even dark, lyrics with well constructed music. Very theatrical in a sense. I am sure will dislike that theatricality but I enjoyed it.… Expand
  5. Enormoupe
    May 6, 2022
    9
    A terrific return to form after Everything Now and the patchy Reflektor. Whew!
  6. sebastjan
    Sep 17, 2022
    8
    No su mejor disco, pero si un gran regreso. Una carta del fin del mundo desde el fin del mundo
  7. Iddo
    May 15, 2022
    8
    Perhaps the hardest arcade fire album to rate. If you compare this album to their first four albums this one surely doesn’t measure up. If youPerhaps the hardest arcade fire album to rate. If you compare this album to their first four albums this one surely doesn’t measure up. If you compare it to the blunder that was everything now it seems like the best album ever made. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. The songwriting is solid but the mixing style was somewhat of a head scratch (especially given it was Nigel Godrich who produced it). Win has never been a phenomenal singer and his lyrics can come off as clunky at times, but those shortcomings were always easy to overlook with the raw energy and gorgeous textures that were always the true stars in the music. The choice to bury these things in mix was an unfortunate one. Despite this it is still a welcome comeback from a band that changed in my mind what good music should sound like.… Expand
  8. JustinKlimkait
    Jun 14, 2022
    0
    I have listened to this album approximately 30 times by now since it first came out. While at first I was not sure what I thought, with eachI have listened to this album approximately 30 times by now since it first came out. While at first I was not sure what I thought, with each listen the lyrics, pacing of the songs, and the overall flow of the songs have hit harder and harder to me. It is truly one of the best albums I have had the pleasure of listening to in recent memory and has led me to instantly buying a general admission ticket (cannot wait) to see them for the first time this winter. Excellent album overall and has reinvigorated my love for this band.… Expand

See all 37 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Most Discussed Album of 2022

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