Devils & Dust
The latter-day Springsteen, when he really has something to say, says it quietly -- a fact that's confirmed by the stripped-down, purposefully dusty ambience of this much-anticipated follow-up to The Rising. While not as sparse as, say, Nebraska or Tom Joad, Devils & Dust 's underlying simplicity -- in arrangements, lyric stance, and production -- makes it more like those albums than the bulk of Springsteen's full-band outings. That attitude is driven home early on by the country-steeped "All the Way Home," powered by a two-step rhythm and a wailing harmonica and made human by the plainspoken infatuation of the protagonist. The more downbeat "Reno," on which Springsteen is accompanied by a spare slide guitar and a subtle swell of strings, is equally rooted in southern culture, albeit more of the woozy, Kris Kristofferson stripe. Lyrically, the disc's most moving passages strike a similar chord, from the contemplative inner-city allegory "Black Cowboys" -- which pits a hard-edged narrative against a whisper-soft canvas of acoustic guitar and organ -- to the tumbleweed-dry dirge "The Hitter." Those songs, like Bruce's best work, tell the tales of individuals rather than movements, but there's no disputing the populist political waves that lap along the album's edges, cresting on the title track, which paints a clear picture of an ideological enemy without naming a single name. Springsteen employs that less-is-more approach again and again on Devils & Dust, never overstating, never overreaching -- and by doing so, he reaches his highest creative pinnacle in years. David Sprague
Devils & Dust @ Barnes & Noble

Devils & Dust
The last time Bruce Springsteen ventured West for inspiration, the result was the desolate, Nebraska, and its tales of serial killers and used cars. On his first record in three years, Springsteen navigates barren deserts and Old West war fields for a dozen forlorn songs that co-star the artist and his acoustic guitar. Where he has always had a knack for carving out the hooks and melodies that make each journey memorable, this time around Springsteen relies on the lyrics to carry the tune-desperate tales of tragedy, heartbreak and lust with a Latino twist, like the boxer coming home ("The Hitter"), a distressing border crossing incident ("Matamoros Banks") and the Nevada hooker with good intentions ("Reno," which led to the warning sticker "Adult Imagery"). With no E Street Band in the mix, the album is decorated with horns and strings and Springsteen’s novel falsetto on two his best efforts: "Maria’s Bed," where the narrator comes home to his woman after 40 nights on the road, and the fast-picking "All I’m Thinkin’ About," where he has more than Carolina on his mind. A decade from now this will be an underrated record in the Springsteen chronicles. --Scott Holter
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Devils & Dust [CD + DVD]
Bruce Springsteen's nineteenth album, Devils & Dust, features both a CD of twelve brand-new Springsteen songs and a bonus DVD. It was produced by Brendan O'Brien, who first worked with Springsteen on the acclaimed album, The Rising. The seeds for the new album were sown nearly a decade ago, when the singer-songwriter launched his first-ever solo acoustic tour (1995--96). Two of the new album's songs, "The Hitter" and "Long Time Comin'," were actually written and performed on The Ghost of Tom Joad tour. But not all the material dates back that far; the title track was written around the start of the war in Iraq, Springsteen said. "It works as a metaphor for all the music underneath it, the individual stories of people wrestling with their demons," he said of the title track. Springsteen opted to record without the E Street Band for Devils & Dust. The core group was Springsteen on guitar and other instruments, producer Brendan O'Brien on bass and drummer Steve Jordan. In keeping with his pattern of recording, the new album is a quieter, more acoustic affair than The Rising. Springsteen, now 55, has alternated between large-scale rock records followed by more introspective material since 1982's Nebraska was released two years after The River. Pedal steel guitar, harmonica and violin fill in the sparse, rootsy arrangements. The bonus DVD includes a special Devils & Dust film by noted photographer and film maker Danny Clinch, including rare, never-before-seen acoustic performances of "Devils & Dust," "Long Time Comin'," "Reno," All I'm Thinkin' About" and "Matamoras Banks" plus Bruce's personal introductions to the tracks.
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