Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts, Talkin to the Trees ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❌
The ever-busy, ever-working Neil Young is back with a new album. This is his first album with new backing band, The Chrome Hearts. I went into this asking how this new band would affect his sound. And the answer is it put him in a time machine.
This sounds like 1970s Neil. Musically this could easily pass as a follow up to Tonight’s the Night or American Stars ‘N Bars. The slow songs have that very folksy, almost whimsical effect, and the fast songs have a rough edge to them. Lyrically this is the most Neil Young album possible. Politics, cars, and environmentalism are all present here.
Also, the production is really strong. With Neil you never really know what you’re gonna get in that department. He isn’t one to stress over making sure an album is sonically up to standards, but this one sounds great. Way more palatable of a listen than his World Record album with Crazy Horse from a few years back.
Favorite song: “Dark Mirage”