Once we finished being all uppity about the Times' use of the Bruce Springsteen–Stephin Merritt comparison that's been all over the Internet, we started wondering: Is Kelefa Sanneh (and Alex Balk and Matthew Perpetua) right? Does Bruce's new album sound like the Magnetic Fields? Via the magic of streaming audio, you can decide for yourself, after the jump.

Bruce Springsteen: "Girls in Their Summer Clothes"

Bruce Springsteen: "Your Own Worst Enemy"

So after we heard these songs, we sort of thought, sure, you could make the case that these are a little Magnetic Fields–y. There are chimes, and there's a cello sawing away at a repeated melodic pattern. But it's not like there's one Magnetic Fields song that these two songs sound eerily reminiscent of, is there?

The Magnetic Fields: "Born on a Train"

Oh, right. Of course, the one Magnetic Fields song Bruce has heard is the one the Arcade Fire covered.

Earlier: TropeWatch: Bruce Springsteen, Lover of the Magnetic Fields