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Letter to You Image
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 25 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 64 Ratings

  • Summary: The 20th full-length studio release for the rock artist was recorded over five days with the E Street Band and producer Ron Aniello.
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 25
  2. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. 100
    The live recording of this record really helps deliver that communal feeling. They feel so present and close that listeners might feel they’re violating the pandemic rules.
  2. Oct 15, 2020
    100
    His new record Letter To You is an absolute triumph, one that can take its place alongside the best albums of Springsteen’s long career.
  3. Oct 22, 2020
    90
    Springsteen gives us the E Street Band at its rawest. The songs deal with loss and perseverance, but the arrangements make them sound like anthems.
  4. Oct 20, 2020
    80
    Letter To You provides both a moving thematic adjunct to Springsteen On Broadway and a timely and welcome burst of the sheer euphoria that only the E Street Band can inject. It also, importantly, demonstrates the band’s unacknowledged flexibility.
  5. Mojo
    Oct 28, 2020
    80
    Ultimately, what redeems Letter To You from notions of idealised nostalgia is the rigour of its performances, particularly those of Springsteen himself, who for the second successive album is in the singing form of his life. [Dec 2020, p.78]
  6. Oct 22, 2020
    80
    On Letter to You, Springsteen is at his rawest and most reflective. ... Letter to You may well be Springsteen addressing his most significant bandmates and his audience with love, but it may as well be something he wrote and sent ahead to 2020.
  7. Oct 22, 2020
    60
    From its title down, it’s clearly intended as a message to longstanding Springsteen fans, the sound of an artist hunkering down in troubled times. That also represents a scaling down of ambition, but judged by its own criteria, Letter to You is a success.

See all 25 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. Nov 16, 2020
    10
    What a fantastic album to follow the great Western Stars from last year. He captures that live feel and Ron Anielo does a great job producingWhat a fantastic album to follow the great Western Stars from last year. He captures that live feel and Ron Anielo does a great job producing a clean, crisp sounding record. I had some concerns that the inclusion of 3 near 50-year old songs would make the album disjointed like the disappointing High Hopes. However, they seem to fit in well. The new songs look back to different times and people lost and have a very personal feel. The band are incredible and, as much as I've enjoyed the Miami Horns, Tom Morello and the e-street choir, it's great to strip that all away and go back to that early 80's sound. I think Western Stars will probably have won him more new fans with it being quite different to anything he's done before, but it's hard to imagine any long time Springsteen fan being anything but delighted with Letter to You. I hope we get the chance to see these songs performed live before too long. Expand
  2. Oct 31, 2020
    10
    Springsteen sends a heartfelt love letter to his friends, family and fans living or passed. His goal is to express his thanks and impart a bitSpringsteen sends a heartfelt love letter to his friends, family and fans living or passed. His goal is to express his thanks and impart a bit of wisdom is the process. He succeeds beautifully. By any objective measure this is an artful retrospective view of a man nearing the end of his life. To Springsteen fans who have followed Bruce for decades, who fully appreciate the context of that continuing story, this is a masterpiece ranking alongside Born to Run, Darkness and The Rising as important references to different stages of their lives. Expand
  3. Oct 23, 2020
    10
    Man is this good. Didn't even realize how much I wanted to hear Springsteen release this kind of record. Awesome.
  4. Dec 3, 2020
    10
    This would be a ridiculously fantastic rock album for a 30 year old rock star in his prime. It’s off-the-charts unbelievably great for a 70+This would be a ridiculously fantastic rock album for a 30 year old rock star in his prime. It’s off-the-charts unbelievably great for a 70+ year old. This is now two brilliant and completely different albums released by Springsteen in the past 2 years. “Western Stars” and “Letter to You”. If he’s not quite matching his prime, he’s coming pretty darn close. Expand
  5. Oct 25, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Simply a wonderful album from start to finish.
    It sounds fresh and the E Street Band is on top level.
    Springsteen' s voice is outstanding on this album and it is a great listen.
    Expand
  6. Oct 23, 2020
    10
    Absolutely loving this. Not a bad track, burnin train, ghosts, if i were a thief. My favorite track changes with every listen.
  7. Nov 6, 2020
    0
    do y'all seriously eat this up? um... y'all will eat up anything this man releases and for what...

See all 13 User Reviews

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