Bruce SpringsteenThe Rising

Grief and uplift collide in the same breath, glockenspiel and gospel-choir backing pushing every song toward release. The title track climbs a burning World Trade Center stairwell with a firefighter, building from hushed acoustic to a soaring chorus. "Mary's Place" throws a horn-and-organ house party with heartbreak humming underneath. Springsteen's first full studio reunion with the E Street Band in 18 years, and the definitive response to 9/11. Drop the needle and feel a country stand back up.