Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes

New Jersey’s favorite son is a road warrior, an artist whose marathon-like concerts are the stuff of legend. Even at 64, the iconic rocker shows no sign of letting up: later this month, he opens another world tour in South Africa. So it’s no surprise that Springsteen’s 18^th studio album is a road record, largely made during his last global trek. There’s also previously unreleased studio material, some of which features Springsteen’s old sidekick, saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who died in 2011. There’s gospel exuberance on “Heaven’s Wall” and a stirring Celtic tinge on “This is Your Sword.” But the album’s best moments come during thrilling live performances of “American Skin (41 Shots),” Bruce’s response to the 1999 killing of Amadou Diallo by New York City police, and an electrified version of “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” Both feature E Street Band recruit Tom Morello, of Rage Against the Machine fame, whose incendiary guitar solos clearly provided Springsteen with fresh inspiration.