War & Leisure

Miguel - War & Leisure
Critic Score
Based on 26 reviews
2017 Ratings: #305 / 940
User Score
Based on 428 ratings
2017 Rank: #468
Liked by 22 people
Sign In to rate and review

CRITIC REVIEWS

90
The Line of Best Fit

War & Leisure is an album with a generous helping of highlights, not least because of Miguel’s enviable vocal versatility and affinity for dramatic songcraft, an irresistible combo that sees him playing both hero and villain in his own fantasy.

87
Paste

That’s something Miguel has always done, sonically speaking. And he always sounds amazing doing it; that hasn’t changed on War & Leisure.

83
A.V. Club

As he does with his assortment of expensive-looking robes, Miguel wears War & Leisure’s looseness well, and even if he doesn’t reveal much of himself, he still has the charisma to pull the whole ensemble off.

83
Consequence of Sound
Miguel has a Donna Summer-like ability to twist pop influences into a subtly subversive party soundtrack.
81
Pitchfork

On War & Leisure, he sounds unconflicted and ready to rumble. The freedom he promises his lovers in his music extends to himself, and he’s better than ever at just letting go.

80
The Guardian
Having dropped acid on to his R&B sugar cube for his previous album, Wildheart, giving it a richly psychedelic flavour, Miguel continues his trip to create some of the most imaginative pop music around.
80
Evening Standard

War & Leisure is a coming-of-age record for the multi-talented Miguel. It suggests his songwriting will still be relevant once the screaming has stopped.

80
The Irish Times
Somehow, Miguel successfully blends carefree R&B pop bops with a woke mentality … while giving you the glad eye. Magic.
80
FLOOD Magazine

He’s solidified a definitive Miguel sound that contextualizes past efforts: the fuzzed-beyond-all-recognition guitar riffs, subterranean bass synths, and drums that feel like they’re being aurally clotheslined, setting a fierce foundation for saintly vocals.

80
The Observer

The 80s are writ large on War & Leisure, which cribs its musical ambition and expansiveness from that era’s pop, rock and soul. Our troubled times are never far away though, as the Grammy-winner newly into transcendental meditation swaps his raunchy default for loftier themes.

80
Clash
Miguel’s intention with ‘War & Leisure’ is not to laden himself as a beacon for social change, but to create a body of work that offsets the severity of our current climate. The record thrives because of this surface-level wokeness, Miguel continuing to occupy his own lane as a vital, progressive artist.
80
Slant Magazine

Taken as a whole ... War & Leisure is less of a stylistic about-face than it is a subtle and deliberate course correction.

80
Exclaim!

Though he enthusiastically pushes the boundaries of his sound and image on his most eclectic album yet, Miguel also takes care to make each of its tracks insatiably catchy and breezily fun. It's a shame that the release date falls only a few short days after we published our Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 2017 list — War & Leisure would have surely snagged a spot.

80
NME
True, ‘War & Leisure’ lacks the obvious identity that has marked out Miguel’s previous three albums, but that’s no fault. By comparison, this is 
a compelling collection of poptastic R&B tracks made to soundtrack your night out.
80
AllMusic

For all the conflict imagery, War & Leisure is often brightly colored, even upbeat.

75
Northern Transmissions
Mixing in retro production that would make Kevin Parker proud, the tracks that really work here are pop gems. This said, there’s many slow tracks that strip down to virtually one hook and leave listeners with little to hold onto. Even with these moments however, the moments of brilliance are worth the downbeats.
70
Rolling Stone
The L.A. soul explorer's fourth album creates a space where psych-funk splendor coexists with deep anxiety.
70
Crack Magazine

Rather than sounding like a BBC news anchor has entered the bedroom, with War & Leisure Miguel strikes a balance between the political and the personal.

65
Spectrum Culture

The conscious elements make up a small enough portion of War & Leisure’s runtime that they’re irritants rather than dealbreakers, and the record’s ultimately easy to enjoy.

60
The Young Folks
When Miguel tries to work his way around a groove, without the depth of studio experimentation he displayed on earlier albums, he sounds a little bit awkward.
58
Sputnikmusic
Gone are slowly unfurling jams like “Coffee” or “Leaves,” and in their place vibey, summery jams like “Banana Clip.” Not bad, but nowhere near as satisfying.
50
The Sydney Morning Herald
Miguel might have found his conscience, but he's lost his mojo along the way.
goncalocouto
78

Miguel better fuck my whole ass

orangedroog65
93

So, this album is 10.5 Sex bangers, half a song of J Cole being deeply prescient, and then there’s Now. Now is just a fucking masterpiece. Great album, sex bops for days, anointed is a special kind of sacrilegious sex bop and boy Miguel has just about infinite potential. Time to dive into Wildheart soon.

73

Nice

Daniel_AOTY
70

A nice, smooth R&B album that follows the recipe for an enjoyable listen.

Zess
60

Miguel has a lot of talents but I don’t know if he knows it.

bmlavery
75

Honestly this is pretty good. The only things that I wish were different is the final stretch of the album is a little weak, but other than that I am impressed.

Purchasing War & Leisure from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement

Track List

1Criminal
4:34
feat. Rick Ross
82
2Pineapple Skies
4:41
82
3Sky Walker
4:19
88
4Banana Clip
3:21
84
5Wolf
3:29
feat. Quin
70
6Harem
3:13
69
7Told You So
3:10
78
8City of Angels
4:18
70
9Caramelo Duro
3:33
78
10Come Through and Chill
5:22
feat. J. Cole
82
11Anointed
3:53
69
12Now
4:09
75
Total Length: 48 minutes
Comments
Sign in to comment
No one has said anything yet.


Added on: November 2, 2017