Any of the young bucks out to make an alternative rock record should first pop in Peace Trail for a tutorial on lo-fi grind and shine that, at once, soothes and peels back the flesh. Young has been hard to shadow throughout his career, darting from rock and roll across landscapes of folk, grunge, experimental electronic, and even ‘50s pop without stopping long enough in any to be typecast. To be sure, there is by now, (this being his 38th album), a definitive Neil Young sound. What’s remarkable is how, from record to record, his songs and songwriting have avoided much repetition in structure or sonic delivery. Never is that more the case than here, with Young twice employing his harmonica as a sort-of train whistle on Hell’s locomotive rolling through the boneyard of life, (“Can’t Stop Workin’,” “Terrorist Suicide Hang Gliders”), or running his acoustic guitar strums through blown-speaker overdriven static. Lyrically, he name-checks Amazon.com and robots, talks the politics of ecology and agriculture, and champions trees, water, and women’s rights. Riding along are Jim Keltner and his percussive patterns that tilt the picture at just the properly obtuse angle, and bassist Paul Bushnell, whose inconspicuous tone and choices match Keltner step for sidewinding step. Odd syncopated vocal melodies on “Texas Rangers” find Young ambitious, even brave for the type of album track for which albums need to continue to be made. From his work with Pearl Jam, or more recently, with Promise of the Real, Young has shown a willingness to partner up with the younger generation he’s influenced. With this hat-toss into the alt-rock ring, Neil Young has assembled not just a brazenly creative set of songs, but a statement to all those young bucks: This is how it’s done.
News
Archive- Dog Days Fest Drops 2024 Artist Lineup: MJ Lenderman, Sheer Mag, Frankie and the Witch Fingers and More
- Neil Young and Crazy Horse Perform Augmented “Cortez The Killer” and Bust Outs During Love Earth Tour Opener
- The Rolling Stones Announce North American Tour Openers: Widespread Panic, Tyler Childers, Bettye LaVette and More
- Talking Heads to Reconnect for ‘A Night of Stop Making Sense’ Screenings in NY and LA
- Dayglo Presents Takes Over Bearsville Theater
- Goose Goes Back to Class: Band Members Return to Former High School for Student and Staff Concerts
- Marcus King Band Family Reunion to Return for First Time Since 2019 with The Avett Brothers, Sierra Ferrell and More
- Can’d Aid Announces Flyaway Sweepstakes for Two to Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Most Popular
- Warren Haynes, Bill Kreutzmann, Devon Allman and More Share Tributes to Dickey Betts
- Duane Betts Responds to Outpouring of Support Following Father Dickey Betts’ Passing, Shares Tour Update
- Phish Change Forms for Final Sphere Performance
- Phish Dive Deep for Night Two at Las Vegas’ Sphere
- Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule Pay Tribute to Dickey Betts at SweetWater 420 with Allman Brothers Band Classics
- Brooklyn Bowl to Host Benefit for Bad Brains’ HR, with Members of Bad Brains, Fishbone, Living Colour and More
- Brothers in Frequency: Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country
- Jaimoe to Participate in One-Off Performance with Friends of the Brothers in Fairfield
No Comments comments associated with this post