NEIL YOUNG AND THE CHROME HEARTS – TALKIN’ TO THE TREES (Reprise) (2025)

It’s always interesting to hear what Neil Young has to say. Exhaustion restricted Young’s tour last summer although he is embarking on world tour soon. Young has a lot to be angry about at the moment and on ‘Big Change’ he roars his disapproval at the political developments in the U.S.A. Musk is in his sights on ‘Let’s Roll Again’ (“If you’re a fascist get a TESLA”). An acoustic song about his family, ‘Family Life’, is not as cosy as the title might suggest. The countryfied shuffle of ‘First Fire of Winter’ features his trademark harmonica and pedal steel guitar and is modelled on ‘Helpless’. ‘Silver Eagle’ is named after his tour bus and returns to the folk roots of Woody Guthrie. Veteran Spooner Oldham’s organ additions hit the spot on the title track in its extolling of arboreal virtues, and also on the jazz inflected ‘Bottle of Love’ on which Young hits the vocal high notes and plays the vibes. Album closer ‘Thankful’ has similarities to ‘Harvest Moon’. On “Talkin’ to the Trees” Neil Young is preaching to the converted.