'Working On A Dream'

Over the years we've come to expect each new Springsteen album to have an identifiable theme. Working On A Dream uses a variety of lyrical devices to illustrate the theme that hopes and dreams really can come true, though not without obstacles and disappointments along the way.

The seven years that elapsed between The Ghost Of Tom Joad (1995) and The Rising represented the longest gap between new studio album releases in Bruce Springsteen's career. By contrast, in the seven years since that hiatus ended, we've seen a comparative flood of new material: three new releases between 2002 and 2009.

As has often been the case during the 36 years Springsteen has been recording albums, the theme of his newest release, Working On A Dream is in stark contrast to that of his previous one. Magic offered a disillusioned view of America in 2007, and the failures of its elected leader. In 2009, the inauguration of a president who won election with a campaign of hope occurred exactly a week before the release of an album in which Springsteen (one of Obama's most vocal supporters) delivers a similar message.

Love songs, a Springsteen staple, are in abundance here. "Queen Of The Supermarket" could easily have been a '50s rock hit, with its story of falling in love told in large orchestral style (think Roy Orbison.) Where "Life Itself" is a darker love story, "Kingdom Of Days" is lush and tender.

Another hallmark of Springsteen's work is his ability to move seamlessly between musical styles. "Outlaw Pete" is a funny folk tale, the kind of thing he was doing when his career was just beginning and he was still groping for a musical identity. "The Last Carnival" and "The Wrestler" are also imbued with the artist's various folk influences. "Good Eye" is a blues rock gem.

It seems that once the dam burst after 9/11, Springsteen couldn't wait for an album to be finished before beginning work on the next one. Much of Working On A Dream was written during the production of Magic and recorded during breaks in the Magic tour.

Brendan O'Brien has produced every Springsteen album since The Rising, and Springsteen seems increasingly comfortable relying on him to define the sound and feel of the music (a matter of necessity in this case, since the album was produced at relatively breakneck speed, with Springsteen's time and attention largely focused elsewhere.)

Overall, this is one of the more pop-feeling results of the Springsteen-O'Brien partnership. While purists may bemoan the perceived sellout to commercial interests, it's clear that this is why Springsteen can still get significant radio airplay and consistently high album sales while other artists who came to prominence in the mid-70s have either retired or continued their careers with the same, never-changing 30-year-old catalog.

This album delivers what Springsteen has delivered with remarkable consistency for all these years: a personal connection between the artist and his audience that is based largely on his ability to vocalize the deeply personal hopes, fears, dreams and disappointments that we all experience as we stumble our way through life. And, like the 24 albums that have preceded it, Working On A Dream leaves us wondering what stories the next one will tell.

Release date: January 27, 2009 - Columbia Records

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