Springsteen triumphs with tried and tested formula

Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball

Released March 5 (4/5 stars)

It is a testament to Bruce Springsteen that his new album, Wrecking Ball, is tipped to be top of the Official UK Album Chart this weekend even though it was released less than a week ago.

Springsteen’s nickname, The Boss, is well chosen by fans as he has delivered 17 great albums in his 40-year career. As the seventeenth in this long list, Wrecking Ball is a triumph.

As a folk and heartland rock musician, this album clearly shows the New-Jersey-born rocker has stayed true to his roots, with his own brand of politically charged protest music.

The two best songs on this album are Wrecking Ball and Land of Hope and Dreams and both feature the E-Street Band. A distinct element to both these songs is they include the blaring saxophone sounds from the late Clarence Clemons, who passed away last summer.

Wrecking ball is definitely an apt name for this album, as the single completely stands out and it is unmistakably classic Springsteen.

Land of Hope and Dreams is the oldest song on this album and was written in 1999 around the same time as the E-Street reunion tour. This track also has not one, but two sax solos from the late Clemons and this adds a reminiscent element to the song.

Songs such as Springsteen and the E-Street Band really do make this album. As a whole the album fits together well with each song flowing into the next. Despite being a great album, there is no track on here to rival Springsteen’s classics, such as, Born to Run or Born in the USA.