Quick, the Boss is Coming

For the countless time in the last few days, I'm listening to the new Bruce Springsteen single, Radio Nowhere.

I know, I know, being originally from Jersey and a Springsteen fan is a cliche in practice. But aside from my love of his music, I'm always surprised by the way he finds someway to make his talent relevant for the time. From dead town desperation in the 70s, to the recovery of the soul of the country in the 80s, to his own soul in the 90's, and a personal response to a tragic event in the new century, the Boss finds a way to avoid being typecast as himself. While he has a style that remains constant, you don't always find synth-rock Born in the USAs or piano-ditty Thunder Roads. It's not always brilliant, but it's frequently good, and it always has a soul.

In a world where most aging rock stars end up looking like this, or, like this, Bruce is an act, but at least he's not a caricature. In the past five years, he's released three albums (if you missed Devils and Dust, you missed the best Americana album in fifteen years), thrown his weight for the first time behind a national political candidate, and participated in one of the best musical tributes to a legend I've ever seen. What has your favorite artist done lately?