Bruce Springsteen - “We Are Alive”
Wrecking Ball is a major work, arguably Springsteen’s first since The Rising in 2002, and is the best distillation since Born in the U.S.A. of the issues that drive his songwriting - fitting then that it’s coming during another economic downturn. While he’s always used his songs to address what he calls the distance between the American dream and American reality, this is probably his most direct album, an undeniable protest album, filled with songs addressing (in thinly veiled terms) the economic downturn, the bailouts, and general “Occupy” ideals.
Yet the album isn’t as depressing as you’d think it would be. The music is adventurous, weaving rock, gospel, and folk in a way he hasn’t done before, and listening to the songs (whether they be the furious “Death to My Hometown” and “Shackled and Drawn” or the uplifting “Land of Hope and Dreams”) is an incredibly cathartic experience for anyone worried about the state of the country, whatever side you’re on. It doesn’t stop at anger, but addresses what it means to live through hard times, the dignity of work, the need to help one another, and - in the Woody Guthrie-esque “We Are Alive” - the common bond shared by the oppressed and downtrodden.
Like The Rising, Wrecking Ball discusses what it’s like to live in the America of the present in a way I don’t think any other major artist does in popular music, and that’s why Springsteen is so valuable and still so relevant, and I’m thankful he’s still making music.
I know I’m pretty much the only one I know who likes him, but I just wanted to geek out over this.
- February 23 2012 | 12 Notes - Read More →
