3.5 Out Of 4 Stars

So, the press machine is running at full throttle for Bruce Springsteen’s new album, “Magic.” Now, the CD release isn’t available until this coming Tuesday (Vinyl version is already out), so it is hard to know if it will live up to the hype. Because after all; it is all about hype these days.

Hopefully there is some strong music behind all the hype. The first single “Radio Nowhere” isn’t mind-blowing. Granted, I’ll give Springsteen credit for actively promoting this project. He is an older artist that will get no airplay and push on Top 40 stations. So he has to hit outlets like the Today Show and stage a live performance in NYC to generate buzz, and of course, his publicist is making sure the new album is getting coverage everywhere with strong reviews. He can only rely on himself and his team to get the message out there because no one will do it for him.

My issue is with the reviews. Can anyone trust a journalist to review new music releases honestly? Granted, they usually only have a small blurb they can write due to space restrictions, but how about giving the consumer something real to chew on? I haven’t read one intriguing review or article about Springsteen’s new album. Every cliché in the book is being thrown out there. Everyone loves it, it rocks, great lyrics, crowd-pleasing rock, songs with musical elements reminiscent of past glories, Brenden O’Brien’s production, etc. This doesn’t tell me anything. Is it really good? Or is it mediocre? What do these reviewers really think? If it really is so great, why doesn’t it ever get the full 4/4 stars? They are telling me what Jon Landau wants me to hear and what they think I want to hear as a fan. This is the media in all its glory. Please give me an objective review. Is that too much to ask for?

Every new release gets 3/4 stars and if the release is terrible, it will get 2/4 stars. When was the last time any music journalist gave a popular mainstream artist a truly bad review? Because not everything issued by mainstream and legacy artists is golden and magical. Quit hyping everything, quit taking safe and calculated positions, and give the consumer some truth.