Gawdy, old-school romance finds its way through the cutting, modern sleekness of Bruce Springsteen. Where Born in the U.S.A. turned the songwriting sensation into a pop powerhouse, Tunnel of Love does much to address the dissatisfaction with such an image. Gone is the sense of sticking up for the working man and in comes a desperate, clawing attempt at rekindling a fresh perspective on old love. Tunnel of Love feels, in part, like a last-ditch attempt, but ultimately it is a commentary on dissatisfaction with desire. Isolated despite the wealth is no new topic. Every artist who hits a famous peak and has doubts about being there is bound to be affected. But how they use this fear, this newfound publicity, to feed into their work makes the difference. For Springsteen, it was a case of feeling lonely at the top.
Not because he was there where nobody else was but because for all the houses and luxuries, nothing fills the void like a homely feel. An empty production reflects the hollow shell of life at the top. Gone is the blue-collar link-up and instead is the adaption to fame and luxury. Springsteen sounds uncomfortable with it and heads into a soft suggestion of bluegrass and, when you think a boom of instrumental excess is to come, the song ends. Ain’t Got You is a stunning piece from Springsteen but the road which leads him here is far more interesting. His reflections on what to do with his time feel autobiographical, far more than the likes of Born in the U.S.A. did. However, the clear difference is that commentary is different from his experiences. Rocky foundations are still within reach but the likes of Tougher than the Rest and Spare Parts feel closer to home than anything he had written before.
Floaty experiences on All That Heaven Will Allow is such a leftfield turn from Born in the U.S.A. that Springsteen works overtime to not make Tunnel of Love an alienating experience. But he has staggered these bold changes of form before, with The River and Nebraska. But the difference is they were absolute. Completely dedicated to a new tone of bitter and rage-induced commentaries. Tunnel of Love is a fearful side of Springsteen, something audiences had not heard before. Flickers of his rocking past are heard on Spare Parts and they marry with the tortured new perspective well. Tunnel of Love sounds indebted to nostalgic country tones. These are songs of complacency and, in that, we can see a few warning lights appear on the dashboard not just for Springsteen, but ourselves.
How something like Cautious Man can sound so tender and yet so terrified is the work of a master. Flickers of what Springsteen once was come through with the title track and its whining guitar work. Exceptional stuff yet neutered, quieter than what is expected from The Boss. It is not just an emotional maturity but an anxiety at work. Drum machines and all the hang-ups of the 1980s boom through Tunnel of Love. Cautiously stunning work from Springsteen that takes a bit of getting into. Not because he has fundamentally changed his sound but because, for the first time, he has let his guard down and does not use a blanket of thick and exciting guitar tones to hide it. He is open, honest and reeling from a tough love. Fear guides some honest moments in places where love should blossom, Valentine’s Day for instance, where his eyes roll back, the rush of peace overwhelming the song and, by extension, Tunnel of Love.
