West
by Lucinda Williams
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 28
  3. Negative: 3 out of 28
  1. AllMusic
    90
    West is flawless; it is actually destined to become a classic.
  2. Amazon.com
    90
    West may well be her best album. It is easily her most musically adventurous, and often her most lyrically inspired.
  3. Billboard
    70
    Willner's soulful production, elegant and layered, recalls Daniel Lanois' work with Emmylou Harris. [17 Feb 2007]
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  5. Boston Globe
    80
    Fortunately, the alt-country singer-songwriter’s gifts of soul mining are so acute that the songs — inspired by her mother’s passing and a wrenching breakup — enrich as well as exhaust, and engender cautious optimism.
  6. Entertainment Weekly
    100
    As bummers go, West is a beautiful one — akin to Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind.
  7. Hartford Courant
    70
    For all its sorrowful beauty, "West" is often excruciating to hear as Williams mourns the death of her mother and a stormy relationship that ended badly.
  8. Hot Press
    80
    West works because it juxtaposes a sense of vulnerability with a desire not to stay down for long, and is tinged with a sense of realism not always present in her rivals.
  9. Los Angeles Times
    63
    For most of the album, [the music] remains resolutely deliberate and restrained, without her usual soaring and rocking release.
  10. Mojo
    80
    Most [tracks] are brilliant. [Apr 2007, p.97]
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  11. Observer Music Monthly
    70
    Often harrowing, although Williams's emotional odyssey finds resolution on the title track.
  12. Prefix Magazine
    65
    The tracks that don't work misfire spectacularly.
  13. Q Magazine
    80
    It's a long, hard haul, but this is an outstanding talent at the top of her game. [Mar 2007, p.116]
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  14. Rolling Stone
    80
    Williams remains a premier artist. [22 Feb 2007, p.73]
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  15. ShakingThrough.net
    76
    Perhaps an unrefined but fiery bar band would have been better suited to accompany such nakedly raw material.
  16. Spin
    70
    Let those [few sub-par] parts slide into the ocean and enjoy the remaining hour of perfectly golden brilliance. [Feb 2007, p.89]
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  17. The A.V. Club
    75
    When the group tries to explore the other, louder side of its sound, West sounds slapped-together.
  18. The Guardian
    100
    What makes Williams such an important country artist, besides the excellent songwriting and that sultry, scarred southern voice, is her skill at stretching the genre's boundaries while mining its essence.

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Most Discussed Album of 2007

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 44
  3. Negative: 3 out of 44
  1. Mikemusicguy
    Feb 7, 2009
    7
    Remember the most depressing Neil Young album you ever heard? Well Lucinda goes beyond it. I like it, I respect it,its real good in a Lenny Remember the most depressing Neil Young album you ever heard? Well Lucinda goes beyond it. I like it, I respect it,its real good in a Lenny Cohen kind of way( most cuts) but can't see myself playing it much except when I want to be bummed out or am already there. She's your cup of tea . I wish she'd switch it up a little. Surely shes happy about something ???… Full Review »
  2. JaniceC.
    Dec 29, 2007
    10
    This CD is ahead of its time; it has legs and you know it.
  3. VanceH.
    Nov 26, 2007
    9
    Count the number of pompous, bombastic sentences in the negative reviews of this album. That number will tell you a lot. West is low Count the number of pompous, bombastic sentences in the negative reviews of this album. That number will tell you a lot. West is low key,contemplative and beautifully produced. What a crime!… Full Review »
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