Magic, the first E Street Band studio record since 2002’s sombre 9/11 concept album The Rising, sees the Boss and his team of merrymakers at their finest. While Magic, like The Rising, features more than a few introspective tracks that hardly push the E Streeters to their full potential, songs like “Livin’ in the Future” and “Girls in their Summer Clothes” sound like they could have been recorded 25 years ago. The crew sound exactly as they should — like a swinging bar band built on stubborn dreams and soaring sax solos. For his part, Springsteen keeps up his end of the bargain, writing strong songs filled with hope, Regular Joe strife and the odd bit of desperation.