4 Post-Millennial Bruce Springsteen Songs That Can Stand With Any Classics

We tend to fixate on the glory years of our favorite performers, sometimes to the detriment of their newer material. Or, in the case of Bruce Springsteen, maybe it’s more accurate to say that we focus on the “Glory Days”.

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But anyone listening closely to his catalog since the turn of the millennium will tell you he’s still releasing prime stuff. In fact, we’d put these four late-period songs up against anything he’s ever released.

“Radio Nowhere”

Magic, released in 2007, was the first album since the reunion of the E Street Band in the 90s where the band felt fully integrated back into the recording process. Thus, it’s probably no surprise that this was one of Springsteen’s best since the 80s. And the opening track, “Radio Nowhere”, set the tone. A blistering guitar riff suggested that The Boss wasn’t playing around. From there, he charges into a narrative about a frustrating lack of connection with the outside world. Springsteen also throws a bread crumb to his fans with the line “Is there anybody alive out there?” He often asks that of his audience during his concerts. Here, the question acts as a desperate plea instead of a rallying cry.

“Kingdom Of Days”

Springsteen probably didn’t do any favors for his Working On A Dream album by appearing at the Super Bowl right around the same time as its release in 2009. That performance grabbed all the publicity that should have gone to this overlooked LP. The sound on the album often hearkens back to some classic pop of the early 60s. “Kingdom Of Days” sounds more like a Phil Spector production than anything The Boss had released since “Born To Run”. And the lyrics fall into line with that throwback vibe, featuring two people of advancing years whose passion hasn’t diminished one bit. This one stands as one of Springsteen’s most relatable love songs.

“Hunter Of Invisible Game”

In 2014, High Hopes snuck out onto the market with considerably less fanfare than the typical Bruce Springsteen release. The album didn’t worry as much about thematic unity as most Boss albums. Instead, he collected a series of songs that he had recently written that hadn’t yet found a home. You can kind of understand how an oddball like “Hunter Of Invisible Game” might end up stranded. After all, how often have you heard Springsteen in sci-fi mode, singing about someone wandering around a futuristic wasteland a la The Road Warrior? Perhaps the song reflects on the difficulty of the songwriting process. It doesn’t really matter though, because it’s captivating regardless of the interpretation.

“Moonlight Motel”

Western Stars, released in 2019, represented one of the most fascinating departures of Bruce Springsteen’s career. It traffics mostly in a country-pop hybrid sound, one that wouldn’t have been out of place if Glen Campbell was singing lead. For the closing track, Springsteen dropped one of his finest weepers in “Moonlight Motel”. He treads the fine line between sweet memory and profound regret. It’s the kind of song that could only have been written via the wisdom and pain accumulated by someone who’s in the second half of their life. In other words, if you bailed on Springsteen when he faded from the pop charts, this is the kind of brilliant writing that you’re missing.

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