It isn't even out yet, but critics are already weighing in left and right on Bruce Springsteen's latest -- and it's sounding like a successful experiment.

So we're at T-minus four days and counting for the release of Bruce Springsteen's "Western Stars," but apparently Sony hasn't been shy about sharing it around: Reviews are coming in fast and furious, and the first notices are mostly glowing, even as they acknowledge a fairly radical departure.

Some highlights:

"A number of the songs here straddle the classic and the cliché, as country songs often do, though they’re not country, exactly. Taken individually, they can also seem thin ... But framed by the album’s larger themes, they hit home, deepened by a seasoned actor’s self-awareness." — Will Hermes, Rolling Stone

"By structuring the music around an orchestra, he has achieved a remarkable freshness." — Joe Breen, Irish Times

"Certainly, there’s a real and rather affecting love evident in the way Springsteen channels the sound on Western Stars. There are moments of transcendent loveliness ... but he’s also unafraid of its occasional tendency towards schmaltz. Quite the opposite." — Alexis Petridis, The Guardian

"Beneath the glossy sheen are the taut narratives, introspection and ambiguous moments familiar to longtime listeners. His storytelling skills are as strong as ever, just presented in a different way." — Gregory Katz, Associated Press

"Western Stars is an unabashedly old-fashioned album, and one that comes off as somewhat mannered at first, as Springsteen sings in a full-on croon on baroque pop romancers like 'There Goes My Miracle.' But Western Stars is without question a grower, and most of its musical and narrative gambits pay off." — Dan DeLuca, Philadelphia Inquirer

Here's a roundup of the reviews posted so far -- we'll add more as the release date approaches, so check back.

Rolling Stone: Bruce Springsteen Sets Out for Wide Open Territory on ‘Western Stars’ (4/5)

APP.com: Bruce Springsteen's 'Western Stars' a hauntingly brilliant journey on the highway

Associated Press: Music Review: 'Western Stars' new path for Bruce Springsteen

PopMatters: Bruce Springsteen's 'Western Stars' Grows More Satisfying with Repeated Exposure (8/10)

Irish Examiner: Springsteen wending way towards twilight of his career with new album

Irish Times: Bruce Springsteen: Western Stars review – His most radical and best album in years (5/5)

American Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars (4/5)

Flood Magazine: Bruce Springsteen, "Western Stars" (7/10)

Newsday: 'Western Stars' review: Bruce Springsteen's stunning new approach (4 stars)

Wall Street Journal (paywall): ‘Western Stars’ by Bruce Springsteen Review: The Boss Heads in a New Direction

The Guardian: Bruce Springsteen: Western Stars review – the Boss takes the scenic route (4/5)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Bruce Springsteen tries out a new sound, under the ‘Western Stars’ (3 stars)

Daily Mail: The Boss is king of the cowboys (4/5)

GoldenPlec: Bruce Springsteen, Western Stars (4.5/5)