Pianist Bruce Hornsby achieved his greatest commercial success forty years ago with the song The Way It Is. Most listeners enjoyed its catchy melody without realizing it was an anti-racist song, written by a white musician who grew up in the American South and refused to accept the injustice around him.
Four decades later, Bruce Hornsby returns with Indigo Park, an album far more experimental and complex than his biggest hit. Since Absolute Zero in 2019, Hornsby has been riding a creative wave that has been steadily breaking onto our musical shores—five albums in six and a half years, all of them compelling. The pianist and singer seems intent on deconstructing and rebuilding the song form, even American music itself: stretching melodies toward dissonance and offbeat rhythms while remaining rooted in a pop sensibility, infused with jazz, folk, and unpredictable arrangements.
Take Silhouette Shadows, for instance: a strange piano melody that evokes childhood memories, including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Or take Might As Well Be Me or Florinda, where Bruce Hornsby is joined by the legendary Bob Weir of Grateful Dead. The result is a kind of New Orleans circus-jazz atmosphere, filled with unusual rhythmic shifts—and striking guitar work.
Indigo Park is an album that delves into the American soul. It references places like Alabama, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Boston. The overall tone leans more toward minor than major across these many introspective moments. Yet there are also lighter passages, including Ecstatic, which touches on women’s basketball and features the voice of Bonnie Raitt—almost unrecognizable—in the background.
Imagine Peter Gabriel meeting Brad Mehldau or Bill Frisell, with a touch of Tom Waits and Paul Simon—even a hint of Frank Zappa. But this metaphor falls far short of capturing the universe of Bruce Hornsby.
It’s also worth noting that Hornsby recorded a jazz album with Christian McBride and Jack DeJohnette in 2007.
Enjoying Indigo Park? In addition to Absolute Zero, already mentioned, you can check out Non-Secure Connection (2020), ’Flicted (2022), as well as Deep Sea Vents (2024), by far the most experimental of the bunch, with abundant strings and brass.
Bruce Hornsby is crafting one of the most original bodies of American pop music of this decade. That’s the way it is, friends—and it’s a very good thing.
