2012 presented an interesting challenge for Springsteen, as his previous release Working On A Dream was a mismatched album which seemed to work better as a live effort than it ever did on record, it seemed he needed a much stronger follow-up. And like anyone actually doubted him, he provided it with one of the finest albums of the 21st century, Wrecking Ball. The album is, like many of his best before it, packed with politically charged, loud guitar music. The songs can be softer (You've Got It), darkly haunting (Jack Of All Trades) or loud and angry (We Take Care Of Our Own), but there simply is not a bad track on it. It's fueled by Springsteen's disappointment in the state of his country once more, and draws from his views on the military and local settings in particular. In my opinion, one of the show piece tracks Land Of Hope And Dreams is simply one of the best songs Springsteen has ever produced, and most impressively, the album as a whole does not sound like an older musician trying to fit in to a modern sound. It IS a modern sound.
