Bruce Springsteen – Only the Strong Survive Review

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Fitting titles and soulful covers from Bruce Springsteen mark yet another quality entry into his discography. Reflective moments in the twilight years, musing on and powering through tracks tailor-made for covering, but not for those that have a typical idea on Springsteen’s voice. Only the Strong Survive, that much is true. There are few artists (bar the obvious mentions of Paul McCartney, Marianne Faithfull, and Bob Dylan) that can still survive in the mainstream, successive period. Springsteen has had no trouble with that. Singles Nightshift and Don’t Play That Song are clear examples of an artist with much more to give, and this time, he strips back to his essentials, something he has never properly relied on.

As strong a voice as Springsteen has, it is only here that his voice is utilised thoroughly. Born to Run and The Tunnel layered a pristine, exceptional range under brilliant instrumentals. The reverse comes for Only the Strong Survive, a backing band and jazz-pop aesthetic that brings out the best in Springsteen’s voice. The title track sees Springsteen cover the charming aesthetics of Jerry Butler. Raw and exceptionally emotive, the same tones and shifts in vocal range that accompanied Springsteen on Born to Run, but stripped back and focused on. That important shift is as beautiful and stunning as fans were expecting, and as surprising for those that hadn’t heard from Springsteen since the glory days. Easy it would be to label Only the Strong Survive as a comeback album, that would imply Springsteen had gone anywhere.

Any artist that can continue to develop their discography with new challenges such as this is, as David Bowie once put it, just able to stand in the tides. Stripping back, throwing down and rebuilding classics of Motown soul, Springsteen feels like an unlikely member of such a genre, but holds his own with powerful vocals. Despite the covers having no writing credits for Springsteen, they each feel unique, personal and thoroughly reflective. Take an isolated shot of Soul Days or Nightshift and there, presented with clarity, is a sincerely strong vocal arrangement. From Sam Moore’s collaboration on I Forgot to Be Your Lover to the real, essential understanding of how honest and on-the-line soul music is, Springsteen crafts what may be his finest album this side of the millennium.

Essential doesn’t begin to cover it. Springsteen does what any artist hopes for, a successful covers album of his favourite hits and pieces, bringing out a new, emotional and often unseen to artists revered as some of the best. Raw, powerful and filled with great covers, from the vocal presence of Turn Back the Hands of Time to the honesty found on When She Was My Girl. They are spread out through several covers that give a bit of lighter breathing room to the instrumentals. Hey, Western Union Man doesn’t feel as powerful emotionally but still provides one of fifteen exceptional covers. Successful soul covers laid down with clarity, range and real power from an artist rediscovering the power of their voice. Keep an ear out for I Wish It Would Rain and Any Other Way for as touchingly articulate as they are, they provide that clear, tender Springsteen charm. Those final five tracks, that stretch from Any Other Way to Someday We’ll Be Together, are the strongest Springsteen has sounded since the 1970s.