"I just wanna hear some rhythm!" Bruce Springsteen yowls on Radio Nowhere, the opening track of his fifteenth studio album, Magic. It's a sentiment echoed by many of his fans; after 2005's downbeat Devils and Dust, and last year's folk project The Seeger Sessions, most enthusiasts are craving the nitty-gritty rock 'n' roll that New Jersey's favourite son excels at. Springsteen has reconvened the E Street Band for the first time since 2002's post-9/11-themed outing The Rising, and the resultant product is an album that's nowhere near as compelling or political, but similar in sound and instrumentation. Perhaps that's due in part to Rising producer Brendan O'Brien's contribution; above all else, Magic retains the plush, seamless sound that lines every E Street Band album. Radio Nowhere is an immediate standout; a powerful, well-constructed pop-rock song, it sees Springsteen reference several of his hits and is one of the most energetic songs on display here. Livin' In the Future, Girls In Their Summer Clothes and Long Walk Home are all standard Springsteen rock tunes - songs that provide a nice soundtrack, but won't change your life; but it's the harmonica-strewn Gypsy Biker and the atmospheric Devil's Arcade that take things up a notch, however, and attest to the fact that despite his extensive back catalogue, Springsteen can occasionally surprise. 'Magic' may be a slightly misleading title, however - but it does have a better ring to it than 'Solid'.

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