In between his gig as go-to producer and songwriter for pop auteurs like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, Jack Antonoff created Bleachers to indulge in the type of emotive, anthemic pop-rock he loved as a kid growing up in New Jersey. Heavy nods to ‘80s synth-pop (and John Hughes soundtracks) course through every cut, including their 2014 debut single—the piano-thumping sing-along “I Wanna Get Better”—and Lorde co-write, “Don’t Take the Money”. Still, Bleachers find their biggest muse in Bruce Springsteen, who appears on 2020’s “chinatown”, a simmering paean to nostalgia that proves some of the most heartwarming hooks come from Jersey.