MUMBAI: Bruce Springsteen’s first studio album in five years has both fans and critics proclaiming it some of the finest music of his career. The “hauntingly brilliant” (USA Today) Western Stars also comes out of the gate as a cross-continental champion. The album, which Esquire calls “his best new work in a decade,” has been at number one at both iTunes’ and Amazon’s album charts in the United States.

Springsteen’s 19th studio album debuted at #1 on the UK album chart, giving him 11 #1s there and placing him alongside David Bowie and the Rolling Stones as one of the Top 5 acts with the most #1 UK albums. The album is already #1 in most European countries - including Belgium, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, and the Netherlands - and is trending #1 in Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries. Western Stars has been at number one at iTunes charts in those countries, as well as the US, Austria, Denmark, Finland, India, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

UK outlets The Telegraph, The Independent, and The Sun each gave Western Stars five-star raves, with The Guardian praising its 13 new songs as “transcendent… powerful.” Pitchfork called Western Stars Springsteen’s ”best studio album in years,” adding that “Springsteen albums are usually grand affairs but he’s never made one that sounds so vast and luxurious throughout."