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While Bruce Springsteen’s latest album, Working on a Dream, has inspired cries of everything from “the Boss is back” to “worst album ever,” I think it’s fair to say that it falls somewhere in the middle of his catalog. It’s not his best nor his worst, but it’s a solid piece of work that shows off the long-lasted rocker’s strengths.
The album starts off with “Outlaw Pete,” an eight-minute tale of an old west desperado and the thin line between redemption and damnation. It’s a strong choice for an opening track, firmly settling the listener in for more of the story-driven songs that Springsteen is so well-known for.
The next two tracks—the anthem-rock ballad, “Lucky Day,” and the more subdued “Working on a Dream”—are considerably more optimistic. Celebrating relationships and work respectively, they come and go like a breath of fresh air, light and airy but not necessarily memorable.
“Queen of the Supermarket” brings us back into storytelling territory, as Springsteen recounts the majesty of unrequited love in perhaps the most mundane setting imaginable. It’s quite possibly the second-best song on the album.
Then, again, we have two songs with similar themes. “What Love Can Do” argues for the potential of a bright future, even in the most difficult circumstances, while “This Life” celebrates a life and love well-enjoyed.
“Good Eye” shakes things up a bit with a strong blues-rock vibe. It’s a short, dirty, harmonica-infused boogie with a choice repeated couplet: “I had my good eye to the dark, and my blind eye to the sun.”
“Tomorrow Never Knows,” “Life Itself,” and “Kingdom of Days” all play to the quickness with which life passes and the importance of a strong relationship. While “Tomorrow” looks forward in the absence of surety and “Kingdom” looks back with fond memories, “Life” is a passionate song that acknowledges both the creative and destructive powers of love.
“Surprise, Surprise” is a fairly light-hearted love song, and it plays with similar themes of graceful aging and good times. It’s not a bad song, but it’s also not particular striking in any way.
“The Last Carnival” is an elegy for the late E. Street Band regular Danny Federici. It’s a quiet, thoughtful piece, using carny imagery to evoke good times gone by.
The final song, “The Wrestler,” written as a favor for Mickey Rourke for the movie of the same name, distills one of Springsteen’s classic themes—the down-on-his-luck schlub caught between his dreams and his demons—into a powerfully understated package.
Springsteen has always excelled at taking ordinary people in ordinary situations and crafting songs that make the listener really feel the highs and lows of life. While it may not be his masterwork, Working on a Dream continues this tradition in fine style, and there are certainly moments on this album that rank up there with the best of the Boss.
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