Bruce Springsteen may have recently become a Broadway star by putting on an incredible one-man show about his life and the process of creating some of his iconic songs, baring his soul in a way that had become rare for the iconic performer, but Springsteen is going back to the old way of doing things for his next album. Presumably figuring that we’ve all gotten our fill of the real guy, Springsteen is putting his metaphorical storyteller hat back on for Western Stars, his first new album in five years.
Set to come out on June 14, Springsteen said in a statement that the album is a return to his “solo recordings featuring character-driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestra arrangements,” adding that it’s “a jewel box of a record.” The press release also mentions that the songs cover a “sweeping range of American themes,” including “highways and desert spaces.” It doesn’t list any other examples of an American theme, like maybe a purple mountain majesties or amber waves of grain, but roads and deserts are fine on their own.
Pre-orders for the album will open tomorrow, along with the rest of the first single. You can see the cover art and its majestic pony below.
27 Comments
I’ve been wishing he would get back more character-driven work- his eye for that kind of detail is his biggest strength as a writer, and at his best he’s a hell of a writer. I’m very much looking forward to this.
Those are some seriously popped collars.
More songs like Hungry Heart please.It’s literally my fav. song to go on a road trip (alongside Barely Breathing and Hunnybee).
Looking forward to hearing this, but my god has this man come up with some heinous album covers in the last two decades, this new one definitely not excepted.
I don’t have a problem with it. Magic and Working on a Dream I have a problem with. Working on a Dream looks like a junior high class photoshop project.
You don’t want a horse’s arse staring at you?
You don’t want a horse’s arse staring at you? The horse needs a hat in his pocket in homage to Born in the USA.
I love Bruce more than most of my relatives but you are so right. He arguably hasn’t had a good album cover since Tunnel of Love.
I starred you for “I love Bruce more than most of my relatives.” Me, too.
His last several albums tell me that everyone is scared to offer any criticism of his work, because most of them suck pretty bad. Last fair album was Magic, last good album was The Rising, last great album was Tunnel of Love.And, honestly, the songs need a lot more Nils Lofgren guitar solos.
I can say that High Hopes had some decent songs on it, Working On A Dream, not so much. I think the non stop touring he was doing prior to Springsteen On Broadway had something to do with that. Like Elvis Costello’s Cruel Smile, High Hopes felt more like a tour souvenir to me than anything else.
IDK, I put “Magic” WAY above “The Rising.” There’s way too much filler on the latter. “Magic” has really grown on me in the last ten years or so.
Certainly his last great album was Tunnel of Love. Really it’s the last album he did that I return to again and again.
Did he really describe his own record as a “jewel box”? What does that even mean?
I’d like to hear a character-driven album about why we’re all still fascinated with firefighters.
Their love of sub sandwiches and PG-13 charity calendars reflects the inherent generosity of the American spirit.
Thinking America today is about highways and long drives is kind of quaint these days. If he really wanted to write about American, his songs would be about a bunch of MAGA wearing old people watching FOX, internet trolls, and 23 year old tech millionaires competing in the local Silicon Valley foosball tournament
It’s a very Boomer way of looking at the country. Millennials barely even own cars because a) they can’t afford them and b) we don’t have time to go “find ourselves” or whatever bullshit. That’s not how it works anymore, not since Boomers killed the American Dream.
Millennials don’t romanticize cars like the Boomers but car ownership is only down among the subset who live in the most major of major cities. Otherwise it’s pretty much the same as it’s always been.
Pfft, as if people outside the coastal cities matter.
I think there is a pretty good chance Kevin Costner is going to buy this.
Based on that header photo it appears the Boss is a Hitler mustache and a cigar away from being the next J Jonah Jameson.
I started watching the Broadway show and flipped it off thinking, “some other day…” or I’d rather listen to it than watch. But my one thought was “Aw Bruce… Boss-man. Quit dying your hair.” He’s grown into a great craggy grampa face. Like Sam Shepard or Sam Elliot … any of the “Sam’s” … It’s okay. Put down the box of Just for Men and back away. You’re good.
I prefer special-effects-driven songs.
The sibling of #youdidnoteatthat is #youdidnotdrivethat, and is exemplified here.
Horse: “Shit! A snake!”