20th Century Boss Part 5: “Nebraska” with Phoebe Bridgers

20th Century Boss Part 5: “Nebraska” with Phoebe Bridgers

In 1982, Bruce Springsteen released “Nebraska,” a stark collection of acoustic songs recorded at home on a four-track in one marathon session. It’s an album about criminals and economic hardship and flawed father figures, with lots of spooky echo and heavy shadows. While it was considered at the time his least accessible record, “Nebraska” now stands as one of Springsteen’s popular releases, particularly with younger audiences raised on indie rock. To discuss “Nebraska,” I called up Phoebe Bridgers, an exciting 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. In 2017, she put out a very good debut album, “Stranger In The Alps.” “Nebraska” had already been out for 20 years when Bridgers heard it for the first time, but she was still able to find something personal in this iconic record.