Western Stars/ Bruce Springsteen - folk





By NARENDRA KUSNUR

Album: Western Stars
Artiste: Bruce Springsteen
Genre: Country-folk-pop
Label: Columbia
Rating: ****

First, a word of caution. Bruce Springsteen’s 19th studio album Western Stars may not be the kind you’ll instantly start raving about. In some ways, it may even remind you of his earlier releases Nebraska and The Ghost of Tom Joad. And it's definitely not something that fans of guitar-driven rock may take to.

But give it four or five listens, to begin with. The 13-track, 51-minute set works as slow poison, actually. The melodies grow on you, and the words take you on a vast journey of the American interiors, through highways, trains, horses, deserts, canyons, motels, cafés, and whisky bars.

As a genre, the sound may be described as country-tinged folk-pop oe even 'Americana;, very much rooted in the early 1970s, with Springsteen’s voice in its pure, rugged element. Brilliantly co-produced by Ron Aniello, the songs make magical and subtle use of acoustic guitar, pedal steel, a string section and rhythm, with the orchestration often building up as the song progresses.

If anything, one may complain of a bit of repetition and monotony during the middle of the album, though a bit of patience should take care of that. The opening track pretty much sets the tone, with lines like, “Thumb stuck out as I go, I’m just travelling up the road, maps don’t do much for me friend, I follow the weather and the wind.” 

‘The Wayfarer’, which has sweeping arrangements, talks about a happy-go-lucky vagabond, and ‘Tucson Train’ is about waiting for an estranged lover. An obvious highlight is the title track, which attracts you with the lines, “Once I was shot by John Wayne, yeah, it was towards the end, that one scene has bought me a thousand drinks, set me up and tell it for you, friend.”

The other goodies include the uptempo ‘Sleepy Joe’s Café’, the sing-along charmer ‘There Goes My Miracle’ and ‘Hello Sunshine’, which has a chugging-train rhythm. ‘Stones’, with the words “I woke up this morning with stones in mouth, said those were the only lies you’ve told me” has a haunting melody. However, tracks like ‘Sundown’ and ‘Somewhere North Of Nashville’ are too formula-driven.

This is Springsteen’s first album of completely original material since Wrecking Ball in 2012, and one may tend to think of it as a tribute to the likes of Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash and the Byrds. The good thing is that despite a few similarities to some of his earlier work, it sounds unique in its own way. To use the oft-used cliché, he once again proves he is The Boss.

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