Depending on who you talk to, The Boss’s new single “We Take Care Of Our Own” is an ode to the self-reliant (conservative) American spirit, or a sneering, dark condemnation of our nation’s lack of desire to provide for our citizens.

Either way, I like the sound… I’ll have to go over the lyrics a few more times to see what I think, but the song is a good one.

The comparisons to the pseudo-patriotic “Born In The U.S.A.” are popping up again and again in reviews, but musically this isn’t quite as big and certainly not vocally as bold as that famous track. Bruce almost sounds wounded in the recording, vocally holding back and singing lower than I’m used to… although his style has been more along these lines for a few years now.

The single is available now on Amazon.com and iTunes, and is the lead single from Springsteen’s upcoming album, “Wrecking Ball,” which comes out March 6th.

Reviewers are also torn on their opinions of the song:

* “The band has been in tight form & the result will please fans. If anyone is entitled to mimic Springsteen, it’s the man himself. He does it so well.” -Bloomberg

* “1st singles are meant to whet appetites & get people excited about a new album. Sadly, this 1 does neither. Instead it causes trepidation: Will the other songs be better? ” -North Jersey

* “For more than 40 yrs, he’s carried the torch of rock & roll to millions of fans, & now he’s headed back on tour, this time with a new song that, believe it or not, speaks to conservative values.” -Heritage

Decide for yourself; listen to the song below: