Bruce Springsteen made a surprise return on Thursday morning (Sept. 10) with the heartbreaking rocker “Letter To You,” the title track to his upcoming 12-song album with the E Street Band. The rock icon’s 20th studio album is due out on Oct. 23 on Columbia Records and is described as a “rock album fueled by the band’s heart-stopping, house-rocking signature sound” in a statement.
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“I love the emotional nature of Letter To You,” Springsteen said in a statement about the album recorded at his home studio in New Jersey. “And I love the sound of the E Street Band playing completely live in the studio, in a way we’ve never done before, and with no overdubs. We made the album in only five days, and it turned out to be one of the greatest recording experiences I’ve ever had.”
The album includes nine songs recently written by Springsteen and three new versions of previously unreleased tracks from the 1970s: “Janey Needs a Shooter,” “If I Was the Priest” and and “Song for Orphans.” The collection, produced by Ron Aniello with Springsteen, mixed by Bob Clearmountain and mastered by Bob Ludwig is The Boss’ first time performing with the E Street Band since their 2016 The River tour.
The title track is classic E Street Band energy, with poignant piano, layers of guitars and Springsteen’s weatherbeaten vocals floating above it all as he works out some existential angst about an all-encompassing love. “Dug deep in my soul/ And signed my name true/ And sent it in my letter to you,” he sings in the stark black and white video that features images of Bruce writing the lyrics in a notebook, sharing tender moments with wife/bandmate Patti Scialfa and working the track out with his trusty sidekick guitarist “Little” Steven Van Zandt.
Letter to You follows on the heels of July’s release of a live 1999 Streets of Philadelphia album and last years solo album/movie Western Stars.
Check out the Letter to You track list and video below:
Tracklist
1. “One Minute You’re Here”
2. “Letter To You”
3. “Burnin’ Train”
4. “Janey Needs A Shooter”
5. “Last Man Standing”
6. “The Power Of Prayer”
7. “House Of A Thousand Guitars”
8. “Rainmaker”
9. “If I Was The Priest”
10. “Ghosts”
11. “Song For Orphans”
12. “I’ll See You In My Dreams”