Western Stars
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Western Stars Image
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 31 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 103 Ratings

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  • Summary: The first new solo studio release in five years for the rock artist features contributions from Ron Aniello (who also produced), Jon Brion, Charlie Giordano, David Sancious, Patti Scialfa, and Soozie Tyrell.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. musicOMH.com
    Jun 17, 2019
    100
    Western Stars is, annoyingly, another fantastic album to add to your rotation. But then it is a Bruce Springsteen album. Of course it’s superb.
  2. Consequence
    Jun 11, 2019
    91
    Despite the lower volume, Bruce Springsteen sounds positively invigorated on Western Stars. With a new sonic palette and renewed focus on the LP as a means of writing short stories, it’s easily his best album of new material since 2007’s Magic.
  3. Boston Globe
    Jun 12, 2019
    90
    “Western Stars” finds Springsteen in character study mode with finely detailed storytelling about broken (sometimes literally) men on a quest to find meaning, renewal, or maybe just a bit of love. At their core and stripped of their orchestral flourishes and diverse musical dynamic, most of the songs here would not be out of place on his dark, acoustic efforts, “Nebraska,” “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” or “Devils and Dust.”
  4. Q Magazine
    Jun 6, 2019
    80
    If the delivery mechanism is different, the payload is pure Bruce. [Summer 2019, p.106]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. The New York Times
    Jun 12, 2019
    80
    On Western Stars, a few songs — “Tucson Train,” “Sundown,” “Stones” — sound like the E Street Band could be swapped in for the orchestra. But Springsteen strives to meet his chosen idiom more than halfway. He wrote songs that thrive on the swells and undulations of orchestral drama, and he sings with long-breathed phrases that aren’t exactly crooning — he’s not built for that — but that set out to sustain more than they exhort.
  6. American Songwriter
    Jun 10, 2019
    80
    Western Stars is erratic in the first half, as Springsteen’s need for exposition sometimes grinds uneasily against the sweep of the music. But the second half is a profound pleasure. ... It makes you wish that Springsteen could dash off an album full of such country songs. Until then, Western Stars will have to do, and it does just fine.
  7. Chicago Tribune
    Jun 14, 2019
    50
    The large-scale orchestrations rarely complement the mood. Instead, they barge in, a river of syrup that drowns the sense of betrayal in “Stones,” gushes through “The Wayfarer” and inspires some of Springsteen’s most egregious Gene Pitney-style over-emoting in “Sundown” and the disastrously overdone “There Goes My Miracle.”

See all 31 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 26
  3. Negative: 5 out of 26
  1. ninaevan
    Jun 16, 2019
    10
    Tanto bello quanto inatteso. Una malinconia lo pervade e vieni trasportato in un altro mondo
  2. Bigbonesbilly
    Jun 14, 2019
    10
    Every 3 or 4 years it's time for a new Bruce album and the obligatory return to form reviews, 3 months later it's all 'what were weEvery 3 or 4 years it's time for a new Bruce album and the obligatory return to form reviews, 3 months later it's all 'what were we thinking?'. Along comes Western Stars, and it begins again - except not this time. It didn't augur well, 3 singles released, good, but to honest, no New York City Serenade, or even Wild Billys Circus. But wait a moment, sitting here in context and in magnificent company, they not only make more sense, they sound wonderful, as does the rest of the Western Stars. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss (sort of) - We got him back… Expand
  4. Filmix16
    Jun 16, 2019
    10
    Western Stars is a masterpiece ! Best album since The Rising ! Magic was really great , working as a Dream , High Hope, Wrecking Ball wasWestern Stars is a masterpiece ! Best album since The Rising ! Magic was really great , working as a Dream , High Hope, Wrecking Ball was really great too ! But Western Stars it’s an instant classic like Nebraska, Tunnel of Love ! Thanks Bruce for this beautiful music !… Expand
  5. xingtoto
    Jun 16, 2019
    9
    It is not Born to Run. It has its charm, more alike Nebraska. I won't listen to it 100 times every year but it is certainly enjoyable eachIt is not Born to Run. It has its charm, more alike Nebraska. I won't listen to it 100 times every year but it is certainly enjoyable each time i listen to it… Expand
  6. petrichor1975
    Jun 14, 2019
    7
    Bruce Springsteen's newest record, "Western Stars", is a magnificent blend of country pop and dreamy balladry. "The Wayfarer" sports aBruce Springsteen's newest record, "Western Stars", is a magnificent blend of country pop and dreamy balladry. "The Wayfarer" sports a shimmering, yet subdued vibraphone, some glorious string and horn arrangements (as do mostly all the songs on the album), and beautiful countermelodies that compliment the simplicity of the song. "Tuscon Train", one of the singles from the record, is a classic and is one of the more appealing songs on "Western Stars".

    "Sleepy Joe's Cafe" and "Chasin' Wild Horses" are among the highlights of the record as well, as they stand out against the curtain of all the country pop on this album. However, mid-record is when Springsteen's mellow western sound becomes a bit tiring. "There Goes My Miracle" is where that feeling of tiredness ends. It is one of the best songs on "Western Stars", with its swaying drum beat, gentle strings, and soaring vocals. "Hello Sunshine" is another highlight, along with the succeeding album closer, "Moonlight Motel". Although most of the songs on this new Springsteen album are quiet and reflective, this song takes that to a new level. Its soft tom hits and cymbal swells really emphasize the silent dignity of the track.

    "Western Stars" is a fine output by the Boss. Even if it gets a bit weary to listen to in the middle, it is still a great work of art.    … Expand
  7. Alcave
    Jun 14, 2019
    5
    A closing reminiscent of the spirit of The Ghost of Tom Joad, an album that is conscientiously sober and crude, but never sufficiently valued.A closing reminiscent of the spirit of The Ghost of Tom Joad, an album that is conscientiously sober and crude, but never sufficiently valued. There, in that record with a blurry picture on the cover and in which the American West was portrayed by the losers, there was a real atmosphere. The prints did not seem filmed by a superproducer disembarking with a preconceived idea but were fragments and vivacious stories of a documentary filmmaker traveling through unknown territory for a boy from New Jersey but also for someone lost in his fame. Then, Springsteen's character was also blurred and he did not pretend to be a thoroughbred as if taken from a poster touched up by Photoshop. Then, the character had not finished devouring Springsteen, that magnificent musician and composer spoiled once more.… Expand
  8. eddiepine
    Jun 14, 2019
    0
    Péssimo álbum. Entediante. O Bruce deveria estar aposentado. A crítica "especializada" só está dando uma nota alta pois está recebendoPéssimo álbum. Entediante. O Bruce deveria estar aposentado. A crítica "especializada" só está dando uma nota alta pois está recebendo recursos. Nota zero!… Expand

See all 26 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best Album of 2019
54
#54 Most Discussed Album of 2019
43
#43 Most Shared Album of 2019

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