Carrying Magic’s energy onwards…

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Working On A Dream | 4/5

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band had a difficult task emulating the number one success of previous album Magic. Especially considering that several of the new album’s songs were recorded during tour breaks.

That said, Working on a Dream carries Magic’s energy onwards, with producer Brenden O’Brien needed to channel Springsteen’s ideas into coherent songs.

Key tracks include the epic eight minute opener Outlaw Pete, with its strings adding drama to the story about a bandit on the run. The title track is a song of hope not usually associated with Springsteen, with him repeating the phrase “I’m working on a dream” over twenty times in three and a half minutes.

Closing song The Wrestler - written for Michael Bourke’s film of the same name - is a beautiful piece; with its simple, soft chords a nice way to end the album.