Bruce Springsteen

“High Hopes”

Columbia

Initially, “High Hopes” confused me. The Boss is renowned as a tireless, blue-collar worker, but everything about this album seemed lazy. Nothing on the album is new: There are covers, songs Springsteen has released elsewhere and tracks that had previously been left on the cutting room floor. But upon even a cursory listen, it becomes clear that Springsteen wasn’t looking to make a quick buck off some easy reissues. The E Street Band is in full effect throughout the album, bolstered by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who plays on 10 of the album’s tracks. Springsteen’s voice is a timeless American classic, and paring it with Morello’s mad genius is a decision that yields mixed results. The album’s title track and the pair’s driving nine-minute version of “The Ghost of Tom Joad” are highlights, while “The Wall” and “Frankie Fell in Love” are lacking. CV

Rosanne Cash

“The River and The Thread”

Blue Note

Blue Note Records, long known as the preeminent jazz label, has undergone a campaign to extend its sphere of influence. One major piece in that re-imagining is Rosanne Cash and this, her first album under the label’s banner. “The River and The Thread” is a solid, beautiful piece of music-making. Joined in the studio by a slew of guest artists, including John Paul White, Allison Moorer and Kris Kristofferson, Cash’s voice provides a bluesy, lush bedrock upon which the music is allowed to flourish. Deeply evocative of the sounds of the Mississippi delta, tracks like “A Feather’s Not a Bird” and “Money Road” create vivid pictures in the listener’s mind and help make “The River and The Thread” a gorgeous way to kick off the new year. CV