It is no coincidence that Bruce Springsteen has now released another album on the eve of a presidential election. His album “Magic,” which was released in 2007, was full of political imagery and language, and Springsteen went on to perform at President Obama’s inauguration.
Springsteen’s new album, “Wrecking Ball,” released March 6, is just as chock-full of politically-charged messages but with a much darker tone to them. With lyrics like “From the shot gun shack to the Superdome/ There ain’t no help, the cavalry stayed home/ There ain’t no one hearing the bugle blowin’/ We take care of our own,” Springsteen, as always, doesn’t hold back his opinion of the atmosphere in America.
This darkness pervades the album, making it seem almost apocalyptic, especially with songs like “Swallowed Up (In the Belly of the Whale).” Its echoey acoustic and out-of-tune piano tones swirl around in an eerie blend of sound.
Though these dark ideas and feelings fill the album, the musical styles are perhaps Springsteen’s most diverse to date. Of course, his traditional folk/rock sound comes out in many songs, such as “Easy Money” and the album’s title track. But along with that quintessential Springsteen sound, there are a few surprises.
In “Death to My Hometown,” the heavy beat combined with a lively flute almost makes you want to dance a jig. Springsteen even drops his usual Jersey drawl, affecting an almost Irish brogue to emphasize the Celtic influences in the song.
The track “Rocky Ground” is certainly not the first one he has ever mixed a Gospel choir in with, but it may be the first in which a guest artist raps an interlude to the classic rock sound he has become famous for. No, you didn’t misread that; there’s a rap. It’s more akin to ’80s or ’90s R&B rap, not the hip-hop style we’re used to today. Nevertheless, it’s something quite different for Springsteen. Different, but it works.
For the most part, the album is full of energy. Yet it is not upbeat because of lyrics that tackle such heavy topics as the failing American economy and the changing cultural and political beliefs that have begun to barrage citizens as we gear up for November’s election.
That being said, there are also songs that allow the listener’s ear to rest and enjoy softer tones, such as the almost-whispered “Jack of All Trades” or the grave “This Depression.”
The Boss has always made music for the working men and women of America. And, as any working-class American will tell you today, times are hard. Springsteen, who gave the keynote address at Austin’s South by Southwest music festival, has moved far beyond his humble New Jersey roots, but he has not forgotten them over the years.
In “American Land,” the spirited final track of the album, Springsteen sings as a young immigrant, telling the beauties of America to his sweetheart. He begins by describing “gold … rushing out the river straight into your hands” and “diamonds in the sidewalk, there’s gutters lined in song,” but ends the album with the song’s most memorable line “They died to get here a hundred years ago, they’re still dyin’ now/ The hands that built the country, we’re always tryin’ to keep down.”
Springsteen has always known how to play to his audience, with appeals to the emotion and pride of the American people. “Wrecking Ball” weaves through the idea that, yes, times are hard, but this country will somehow remain strong.