Magic [10/2] by Bruce Springsteen Review

One can appreciate the changes in direction one Bruce Springsteen has taken the last few years.  From the stark, dark, and stripped down tones of 2005's Devils and Dust, to the folksy, triumphant tones of last year's We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, Springsteen has been unafraid to challenge himself and his listeners.  This is never a bad thing.  Not only does it allow him a break from his E Street Band roots, it also allows him to feel refreshed when he decides to go back there.  

And on Magic, Springsteen's first album with the E Street Band in 5 years, he sounds as refreshed as he has been in a while.  OK, so maybe the lyrics aren't up to par with his legendary work from the 70s and 80s, but it isn't as if he's just jotting random words down either.  The songs have a glossy pop sheen on them, as producer Brendan O'Brien works his hardest to make these tracks the most crossover friendly since the Born in the USA album.

First single and lead track Radio Nowhere is a lighthearted jab at the state of radio, as Bruce sings "I just want to hear some rhythm" over a dirty sounding guitar riff.  Add in some classic sax blasting from Clarence Clemons and it is certainly Springsteen's most accessible single in years. 

The mid tempo acoustic swing of You'll Be Coming Down and the soulful sway of Livin' In the Future keeps the album moving along nicely.  But the problem with the album as a whole starts becoming clearer as well.  The production takes what should be a somewhat organic sound and turns it into a glossy, overproduced song. 

Perhaps the most overproduced song is Girls in Their Summer Clothes, a classic mix of observation and storytelling.  But rather than let the song flow naturally, there's all sorts of added production.  Quite honestly, it's distracting and takes away from the natural pop elements in the song.  On the other hand, Your Own Worst Enemy works wonderfully because of the production treatments O'Brien gives it.  It gives the track a surprising amount of hope and joy despite the dour tone of the lyrics.

Only I'll Work For Your Love and Long Walk Home recall the best moments of Bruce with the E Street Band.  While they each share their share of overdone production, thanks to Bruce they manage to sound extremely organic and powerful.

Magic is not a bad album by any means.  It is certainly listenable, though I find myself tiring of it relatively quickly.  And many will find comfort in the fact that Bruce is back with the E Street Band; after all, one can only take so many acoustic and folk songs before they want to hear what made them fall in love with an artist like Bruce in the first place.  If you can get by the glossy overproduction and the fact that the lyrics aren't quite up to par to previous Bruce (though not bad), you'll probably enjoy Magic quite a bit.

For me though, Magic is not magic.

3 stars.