Review by John Soeder, Cleveland Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic
Hallelujah! The very first thing you hear is a snarling electric guitar riff.
It signals a change of pace from Bruce Springsteen's past few efforts, 2005's stripped-down and somber "Devils & Dust" and the pair of hootenanny throwbacks he made with the (Seeger) Sessions Band, last year's "We Shall Overcome" and "Live in Dublin," released earlier this year.
"Radio Nowhere," the new album's opening track and leadoff single, serves notice: The Boss is back in full-blown rock 'n' roll mode, with some trusty sidekicks in tow.
"I was tryin' to find my way home / But all I heard was a drone," Springsteen sings, picking up where Tom Petty left off on his like-minded critique of the airwaves, "The Last DJ." (What does Springsteen's right-hand guitarist, part-time disc jockey Little Steven Van Zandt, make of all this?)
"Magic" is Springsteen's first album with the E Street Band since the 9/11-inspired "The Rising" in 2002. A decidedly lighter vibe permeates instantly likable new tunes such as "I'll Work for Your Love" and "Livin' in the Future," complete with a wailing sax courtesy of Clarence Clemons.
Other songs reveal sides of Springsteen we haven't encountered before, at least not quite like this.
"Trust none of what you hear / And less of what you see," he advises on the title track, a haunting ballad with subtle orchestration.
The exquisite chamber-pop of "Your Own Worst Enemy" takes another scenic detour. It would sound right at home on "Pet Sounds."
Speaking of the Beach Boys, the string-embellished, harmony-laden "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" might well be the finest tune here. Springsteen unabashedly channels Brian Wilson, with a bittersweet twist: "The girls in their summer clothes / Pass me by," our 58-year-old hero croons.
Stick around for the unlisted bonus track, "Terry's Song," a moving, piano-based requiem ("When they built you, brother / They broke the mold") for Springsteen's friend Frank "Terry" Magovern, who died in July.
"Magic" reaffirms that artists like Springsteen don't come along every day, either. In stores Tuesday. Grade: A-
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
jsoeder@plaind.com, 216-999-4562
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