New York, NY – Bruce Springsteen, the legendary “Boss,” has once again delved deep into his prodigious archives, unearthing a treasure trove of unreleased material for his highly anticipated box set, Tracks II: The Lost Albums. Released today, June 27, 2025, via Columbia Records, this monumental collection serves as a follow-up to his acclaimed 1998 Tracks box set, offering fans an unprecedented glimpse into the creative journey of one of music’s most prolific artists.
Spanning 83 songs recorded between 1983 and 2018, Tracks II is not merely a compilation of forgotten demos but rather a revelation of seven thematic, full-length albums that were conceived, and in some cases even mixed, but ultimately shelved. As Springsteen himself revealed, these “lost albums” were complete records that simply didn’t fit into the overarching narrative he was crafting at the time.
The stories behind these “lost albums” are as compelling as the music itself:
* LA Garage Sessions ’83: Bridging the stark intimacy of Nebraska and the stadium-rock anthems of Born in the U.S.A., this collection showcases an alternate path Springsteen considered, filled with raw, experimental sounds and early versions of beloved tracks like “My Hometown.” It’s a fascinating insight into a pivotal period of his career.
* Streets of Philadelphia Sessions: This moody, synth-driven album of brooding relationship songs, featuring tracks like “Blind Spot,” was deemed too far afield from what Springsteen believed his core audience expected. Now, fans can finally hear the full scope of this introspective period.
* Faithless: Conceived as the soundtrack for a “spiritual western” film that never came to fruition, Faithless is described as a meditative work, highlighting Springsteen’s exploration of new sonic landscapes and lyrical themes.
* Somewhere North Of Nashville: A country-leaning endeavor, this album captures Springsteen in a more relaxed, collaborative setting with friends, offering a distinct departure from his more widely known rock sound.
* Inyo: Little is known about this enigmatic album beyond its tracklist and the intriguing sense of wanderlust it evokes, featuring titles like “Adelita” and “Ciudad Juarez,” suggesting a journey through the American West and beyond.
* Twilight Hours: This lush and breezy collection, featuring tracks like “Sunday Love” and “Follow The Sun,” was initially considered for release around the time of 2019’s Western Stars but was ultimately scaled back.
* Perfect World: This decades-spanning “grab bag” album includes mid-90s tracks with a driving, “Darkness on the Edge of Town”-like thrust, such as “I’m Not Sleeping,” offering a glimpse into Springsteen’s restless experimentation during that era.
To give fans a deeper understanding, Springsteen released six promotional singles in the weeks leading up to the box set’s launch, including “Rain on the River,” “Blind Spot,” and “Sunday Love.” A seventeen-minute documentary titled Inside Tracks II: The Lost Albums, released on June 20, 2025, further immerses listeners in the creative process, with Springsteen himself discussing the instrumentation, timelines, and backstories of these long-hidden gems.
Critics are already hailing Tracks II: The Lost Albums as a revelatory and essential release. Reviews praise its sheer abundance of material, the coherence of the individual “lost albums,” and the invaluable insight it offers into Springsteen’s creative evolution and willingness to take risks. Many suggest that these albums, had they been released at the time, would have significantly complicated and enriched the conventional understanding of his career, particularly during the 1990s.
Accompanying the box set is Lost And Found: Selections from The Lost Albums, a companion compilation featuring twenty curated highlights chosen by Springsteen himself, available on vinyl and CD.
And for the insatiable fans, there’s even more to anticipate: Springsteen recently confirmed that a third and final box set, Tracks III, is “already done” and could be released within the next three years. This future collection is expected to revert to the format of the original Tracks, encompassing songs from across his entire career rather than focusing on complete, unreleased albums.
With Tracks II: The Lost Albums, Bruce Springsteen has once again proven that his musical well runs deeper than anyone imagined, offering a captivating alternate history and a profound appreciation for the restless genius of the Boss.
