Neil Young And The Chrome Hearts - Talkin To The Trees (CD)

Presumably, Neil Young was already recording his new album before the recent election. But Neil Young has been around for a while, so he already knew more or less how this would end. " Talkin' to the Trees" is a perfect soundtrack for an America at a crossroads. On several tracks, two of which borrow the melody from Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," Young makes his point abundantly clear. "If you're a fascist get a Tesla / If it's electric it doesn't matter." These are free-flowing protest songs—and even the ones that aren't directly activist sound delightfully nonchalant. The rock numbers rattle and clatter like those on Mirrorball , while other tracks, like "Bottle of Love," recall the lingering tail of On the Beach . It's clear that Young's "new" band, the Chrome Hearts, has given him some energy. He sings effortlessly, but it gives him a fuller, warmer sound. The need is urgent, so Young feels alive again.