Bruce Springsteen's New Album of 'Near-Biblical Significance,' Critics Say
Rocker's 'Wrecking Ball' Lauded for Powerful Commentary on Modern Life
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen is currently promoting his new album, entitled "Wrecking Ball," which critics say is chock full of religious imagery and holds "near-biblical significance" for the musician's latest commentary on the woes of American life.
"Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life," said executive producer and manager Jon Landau. "The lyrics tell a story you can't hear anywhere else, and the music is his most innovative of recent years."
"My work has always been about judging the distance between American reality and the American Dream," Springsteen told the Telegraph while promoting his new album in Paris in mid-February. According to the publication, Springsteen's "Wrecking Ball" combines elements of Gospel and heavy religious imagery, which the rocker attributes to his Catholic upbringing.
"I got brainwashed as a child with Catholicism," Springsteen joked to the paper, admitting that religion has taken a more prominent role in his recent songs. "It's like Al Pacino in 'The Godfather:' I try to get out but they pull you back in! Once a Catholic, always a Catholic."
Critics contend that "Wrecking Ball," the 17th studio album of Springsteen's decades-long career, has the darkest, most morose lyrics and beats of his entire compilation, insisting that Springsteen uses his new album to convey a dismal message that America is on the wrong path.
"Springsteen's 'Wrecking Ball' wrings hope from economic despair," writes the PatriotLedger.com.
CNN describes the album as a compilation of prayers meant for the blue collar worker, and claims Springsteen's lyrics take on "near-biblical" significance. The title track is "the perfect prayer for anyone who's been laid off: 'Hold tight to your anger/And don't fall to your fears,'" according to CNN.
"Wrecking Ball" was released March 6, and since then Springsteen has been ambitiously promoting the album. He recently donned the cover of the March 29 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, and his "Wrecking Ball" tour began on March 18 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.
