Neil Young – Talkin’ to the Trees Review

Publicity circling the release of Talkin’ to the Trees is two-fold. A legend of the stage and studio marks his return, but also finds himself with ten new songs, some of which will no doubt feature in his Glastonbury Festival headline set. Whether they are worth the time it took to write and record, that is another beast entirely. The Rockin’ in the Free World legend is a constantly active and free man, selling off part of his discography to live as he sees fit. A wonderful place for any artist to find themselves, but it sounds as though Neil Young is stuck in that reactionary anger. A rightfully placed anger, absolutely, but it sinks the nuance and perspective of Talkin’ to the Trees. Where Big Change was a short punch of rage, Lets Roll Again rubbished the concept of Young as a straight-shooting commentator.  

He does not sound all that comfortable with any image defining him, hence the choppy feel to Talkin’ to the Trees. That fluidity, that suddenness to change and roll with the punches as his second single asked of, is the biggest strength Young can provide here. Young finds, however, the privilege of a long-lived and well-led life. Opener Family Life feels somewhat out of step with the beat, but vocally, Young still sounds solid. The easiest part of his music, he says, is singing from the heart, and making sure it is delivered to the right person. He has the same effectiveness when it comes to showcasing his songs in the face of rebellion and political disaster, though there are a few shortcomings found on Talkin’ to the Trees. Young may find a familiar route through family love and lost lives on Talkin’ to the Trees, but Dark Mirage stands as one of his darkest best.  

An outstanding, wailing piece of work there, from the deeper octaves of a backing vocalist to the jam session feeling to its winding story of missing grandchildren, of wishes unfulfilled. But unfulfillment is a feeling which runs through Talkin’ to the Trees, an album which feels more like American Stars ‘n Bars or Hawks and Doves. Moments of real beauty, like First Fire of Winter, tender beauties explored by Young in a mismatch of songs. Young writes with a gut-wrenching honesty on the slower numbers, the title track included. Those blows of the harmonica, the acoustic guitar which feels so heartwarming in its simplicity, call back to the golden age of Young as an artist just hitting the ground after departing Buffalo Springfield. These are stories shared in good faith, with Young as keen to hit out at the powerful, the dangerous, as he is to bask in the glory of a life well-lived.  

We are in dangerous times. Talkin’ to the Trees notes this clearly enough. Young wants us to push forward, but how can we when the world is in this state? Movin Ahead hears those hopes, even with the dismay at the heart of it. Those laid-back tones suit Young well – it serves him better now than the attempts at heavy rock, as evidenced by Big Change and Lets Roll Again. He adapts to those softer tones, not because he can no longer serve the harder material but because his messages are offered with empathy. Floaty, hollow album closer Thankful is, as expected, a letter of reflection to a time when life was better. Not personally, but publicly. Young comments on the crumbling world around him, suggests big change is coming, but finds himself rattling on without a thought for how this change may come around.