"While universal in tone, We Are is beautifully inspired by Batiste's life growing up in New Orleans. The record opens with the title track, a passionate, gospel-accented anthem featuring the St. Augustine Marching Band from his high school ... Using the best of the past to build toward a better tomorrow is a stirring notion that pervades the album, both musically and thematically. He draws upon the vigorous grooves of New Orleans funk pioneers the Meters with "Tell the Truth" and crafts a buoyant, psychedelic-soul vibe with the help of author Zadie Smith on "Show Me the Way" ... Batiste's genre-mashing reinforces the album's theme of intergenerational wisdom, and it's also wonderfully fun".