New CDs
Bruce Springsteen, “Working on a Dream” (Columbia) Springsteen and the E Street Band return with another collection of Brendan O’Brien-produced songs, this time speckled with a punchy optimism. The disc, which grew out of the sessions for 2007’s “Magic,” includes the Golden Globe-winning bonus track “The Wrestler.”
Franz Ferdinand, “Tonight” (Epic) Hot Chip and CSS producer Dan Carey nudges this Glaswegian dance-rock act even closer to the straight-up electro-pop with which it’s always flirted. Whether that makes Franz Ferdinand relevant or trendy remains to be seen.
The Bird and the Bee, “Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future” (Blue Note) This Los Angeles duo (producer Greg Kurstin and singer Inara George) injects a slinky dancefloor sexuality into its already fetching retro-pop melodies and twinkling synth lines.
John Wenzel
