A Music Review: "High Hopes" By Bruce Springsteen

A review of Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes (a collection of reimagined classics, covers, and live tracks), released January 14, 2014.

Full disclosure: As a former New Jersian, I am legally obligated to love Bruce Springsteen. Loving Bon Jovi is optional, but there are no exceptions when it comes to The Boss.

The Artwork

The album art for High Hopes continues a long standing tradition of putting the eternally youthful Bruce front and center in his most manly pose. It is neither offensive nor interesting, it just is. Springsteen must figure, it worked for Born to Run, so why fix what hasn't been broken for 40 years.

The Good

The good songs on this record do what Springsteen does best: big, driving drums, sing-along choruses, and huge guitars (which are further pushed by Tom Morello, the mad genius behind Rage Against the Machine). Tracks like "High Hopes," "Heaven's Wall," and "Dream Baby Dream" (originally by Suicide) kick you in the face with band participation, and gospel-tinged sounds, while "American Skin (41 Shots), "Hunter of Invisible Game," and "The Wall" are part of that new Springsteen who is vulnerable, romantic, inspiring, and tragic, yet never sappy, cheesy, or boring.

The Ok

A lot like the album's artwork, the ok songs aren't incredible, but they certainly aren't bad. "Just Like Fire Would" (a The Saints cover), "Frankie Fell in Love," and "This is Your Sword" have a distinctly Irish-folk and Arcade Fire sound to them, but mostly come out sounding like a bunch of dads jamming in a garage, or maybe even a little TOO traditional sounding to really be great. The groove and production on "Down in the Hole" almost pull it out of this category, but Springsteen just doesn't sound too convinced of his vocal abilities for it to succeed.

The Terrible (every album has at least one, don't deny it)

Unfortunately, there are some pretty bad songs on this otherwise pleasant record. It may seem sacrilegious to say, but Springsteen's classic "Ghost of Tom Joad" is rendered boring, plodding, and unoriginal in this hard rock version. Even the kick-ass guitar solo can't save this train wreck. The other truly terrible song is sadly the second track on the record, "Harry's Place." The vocal effects on Springsteen's voice seem cheap and unnecessary, and the song has no life in it whatsoever.

The Verdict

Fire is very much a recurring image on High Hopes. These may be old songs, but I think maybe our buddy Bruce is guilty about something. Probably the deal with the devil he made to stay so beautiful and muscly. This record is very much worth a listen if you enjoy Springsteen's 2000s efforts like Devils and Dust, The Rising, and Magic, and even if you don't it serves as a good introduction to anyone who enjoys thoughtful folk-rock from a bona fide legend.

The Final Rating: 7/10 (or, 100 Bruce Springsteen bicep curls in the hot sun)