Music • June 14, 2019
‘WESTERN STARS’ OUT TODAY
Bruce Springsteen’s 19th studio album Western Stars is out today on Columbia Records. The 13-track release marks Springsteen’s first new studio record in five years. Produced by Springsteen and Ron Aniello, the album draws inspiration in part from the Southern California pop records of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Western Stars features music from more than 20 players, including Patti Scialfa, Jon Brion, David Sancious, Charlie Giordano, and Soozie Tyrell.
Listen to Western Stars here.
To celebrate the release, Springsteen has also shared a music video for the album’s title track, directed by Grammy and Emmy Award-winner Thom Zimny. The video features Springsteen in scenes inspired by the song’s lyrics, performance footage and vignettes shot in Joshua Tree, California.
Watch the “Western Stars” visual here.
“Western Stars” is the second Thom Zimny-directed video from the new album. Springsteen previously shared a Zimny-helmed performance clip of “Tucson Train,” which Esquire referred to as “heart-swelling,” adding “Springsteen seems to be steadying his gaze on the grittier, more difficult corners of his mind.” Prior to the two visual pieces, Springsteen shared “Hello Sunshine” from Western Stars, which NPR Music said “has a kinship with great country philosophers like Willie Nelson and Charlie Rich.” He also shared “There Goes My Miracle” from the album, which Billboard noted “reveals a whole different gear from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.”
Check out what press is saying about Western Stars.
“Hauntingly brilliant…it’s nothing like the Boss has done before…Western Stars is more than worth the trip.” – USA Today
“A gorgeous love letter to the idea of songs providing salvation…the sort of magic Springsteen specializes in conjuring.” – Entertainment Weekly
“Some of Springsteen’s most beguiling work ever…the sound dates back to Springsteen’s youth, and he channels it masterfully.” – Rolling Stone
“Breaks fresh ground for the veteran rocker…his storytelling skills are as strong as ever.” – Associated Press
“A work representing an entirely new direction…an album steeped in myths, and yet, it also seeks to puncture them.” – Wall Street Journal