It used to be that you could pop a Springsteen album in and look forward to deep, reflective content, albeit sometimes with a hint of animosity or negativity, that was either wrapped around chewy pop organizations, or more methodical folk-type offerings. Even with some of the lighter albums, such as Human Touch or Lucky Town, you could wrap your head around parts of it and soak in Bruce's power of empathy. I had the chance to spin Magic several times over the last week or so since posting it to the Jams.* Honestly, I enjoyed parts of it, but taken as a whole and placed into his discography, it hits me as a non sequitur.

For starters, the album features a production quality that is so unique to Bruce's sound it has to be intentional. The audio channels are completely compressed making all the separate tracks have this homogenous texture to it that is very distressed. Basically, Bruce's voice is right smack in the middle of everything. It's loud and lifeless. Given the tone of the content, I am thinking that this production quality is intentional. It goes along with the distressed mood. But, it strikes a lot of people as odd for a Springsteen album.

There is also a redundant aspect to a number of tracks. You'll hear Tenth Avenue Freeze-out and Jungleland and some other favorites refitted for Magic. I know, given a career spanning thirty years you are bound to repeat yourself once or twice. But I would argue, as critiques go, there's three categories: old material done in done in an old way; old material done in a new way, and; new material done in a new way. I put this album in category two, citing the production quality as new but not complementary to Bruce or the E Street Band.

Don't get me entirely wrong here. I did enjoy some of the tracks, and found myself bouncing around to a few of them. It's just that it sounds like someone took the E-Street Band and put the Greenday filter on it. It seems odd that after a hiatus from familiar faces, Bruce chose this album as reunion material. Sure, songs about Girls in Summer Clothes hit me in a certain soft spot. Tracks like that seem oddly juxtaposed between politically heavy numbers and it leaves me scratching my head.

And then there's the political content. It's hard to read other reviews for Magic and not get the usual diatribes about Iraq and Lies and so on. Yes, it's there and at times heavy-handed. For me, I choose not to get my political views from thoughts that are neatly fit into verse and meter. Sorry. If you are into that sorta thing you will probably nod along with the album and think Bruce makes things so obvious. I won't waste my time with such twaddle. I will suggest that explanations for and against a war take a bit longer than your average three minute track to explain. Bruce obviously feels that he's been lied to about this and that, and I frankly don't give a shit. The current administration has a responsibility to present itself and make it's case. I'll leave it at that.

So, where does that leave me in regards to Magic? Well, there's some quality tracks on there. However, it's placed among some pretty average material (given the high expectations that Bruce brings) and it's all glazed over with a sound that strikes me as intentional, but off. It's worth a few spins and maybe a few tracks will make it into a playlist here and there. As a whole it's mediocre.

* The Mint Jams are listen only. You may purchase this album here.