Talkin' To The Trees (2025)

At Farm Aid 2024, Neil Young debuted a new band, the Chrome Hearts. With recent Crazy Horse guitarist Micah Nelson and the Promise of the Real rhythm section of drummer Anthony LoGerfo and bass player Corey McCormick, as well as the legendary Spooner Oldham on organ, it was a tight set, heavy on Harvest Moon vibes, but with an incendiary "Powderfinger" to cap it off. They went on to play a couple of shows in New York and are about to embark on a world tour. In the midst of this, they found time to record 10 tracks at Shangri-La in Malibu. The resulting album is...fraught, to say the least.

I'm not sure how to handle the first two songs, to be honest. Referencing a rift with his daughter and his inability to see his grandchildren, "Family Life" is sad and sentimental, whereas "Dark Mirage" is bitter and angry. Mentions of his split with Pegi Young and her subsequent death allude to the fact that there is some resentment. Further mentions of his current wife, Daryl Hannah, seem defensive. Never in a million years would I have expected Neil to publish these two songs, despite the many times over the years where he has either dealt with personal strife in his music or in public statements and interviews. The difference here is the one-sided criticism of one of his kids (released two days before Father's Day here in the US). Shocking.

There's been a lot of online discourse about these two songs already and the word that keeps coming up is "gossip." I don't personally believe it's gossip for listeners to discuss the content of art released by an artist to the public. That's the artist/public relationship. That said, if anyone is engaging in gossip here, it's Neil. Naming his children, naming his grandchildren, calling his current wife his "best wife ever" in the same song he references the death of Pegi (who his daughter was very close to); this is all designed to hurt his daughter. There's no other way to interpret this in my mind. The country bop of "Family Life" makes it seem wistful and carefree, but the bluesy, aggressive vocal and groove of "Dark Mirage" are meant to be scary, especially those backing vocals. I hate to say think of the children, but I worry about his grandchildren hearing "Dark Mirage" one day.

It's a strange place to be in where I'm actively questioning if my favorite artist should have released something. He's certainly released musically wretched songs before and songs I've disagreed with politically, but I've never been in the position of asking if he's gone too far personally. I can't help but remember that I made a very strong argument that ignoring the content of Neil's lyrics when it comes to politics is a disservice to him as an artist. In a lot of ways, the purpose of art is to make people feel uneasy and confront their own feelings. This is not much different, but it still gives me pause.

After the hair-raising outro of "Dark Mirage," Neil wipes it away almost callously with the gentle "First Fire of Winter." Built on the bones of "Helpless," it's a beautiful song about providing comfort to someone experiencing past traumas. This is the salve that his daughter may need if she is experiencing depression over her mother's loss, but it's not clear who this song is for. Is it Neil feeling bad over his feelings in "Dark Mirage?" Sequencing has always been important on his albums and I can't help but think there is meaning in this song following the first two.

Just like "First Fire of Winter" is built on "Helpless," the next two songs are built on "This Land is Your Land." It's a little more subtle in "Silver Eagle," an ode to his tour bus, but "Let's Roll Again" is explicitly based on Woody Guthrie. The latter song is a frank plea (and criticism) of the auto industry over gas-using vehicles. It's actually not too bad, but very on the nose. The line about buying a Tesla if you're a fascist is pretty bold and sure to annoy some fans. It's interesting he based these two songs on the Guthrie standard, but it's clear he's trying to tie patriotism to not only driving, but the climate. I can get behind that, but it would have been nice to hear original compositions and more thoughtful lyrics.

"Big Change" was the first single and one of the stronger songs on the album. Despite the declamatory style of the singing and simplicity of the lyrics, it's a noisy rocker in the classic Crazy Horse vein. Old Black rips and roars, the short solo is nasty. If anything, I just wish the lyrics weren't so wishy-washy on what the big change is. This could have been a chance to come out with a strong message. He certainly put more effort into the lyrics of "Talkin' to the Trees," a Harvest Moon-ish quiet country number. The Promise of the Real members combine really well with Spooner Oldham on songs like this one. It's not quite the Stray Gators, but they make me wonder if an album focused on that sound would have been stronger in general.

"Movin' Ahead" is a pretty weird song. It sounds like a sketch, but with a charming jerk to it like "Homegrown." Clearly about being torn in different directions and emotions, and needing to move on. I never really remember it until I put it on, but there's something compelling about it. Memorable, though, are the last two songs, mostly because they are very beautiful and feel the most accomplished musically. "Bottle of Love" hearkens back a little to Freedom's "Wrecking Ball," but with a slightly jazzy update. I think that this song is about Pegi, full of memories of the love they created, but also the sadness it has brought to current life. The closer, "Thankful," is beautiful (and very Harvest Moon), and a good summary of the feelings and themes of the album. It's gorgeously produced and a shot of that classic Neil Young sound that people think of.

Is this a good album? There are certainly excellent songs on it. It has complex themes, it gives a lot of insight into the current mind of this artist. But it lacks focus and feels a bit like a list of grievances from an old man. This band (Chrome Hearts) has a Harvest Moon in them for sure, judging by half the album. I get the desire to rock it out as well (they certainly are a visceral live band), but it's possible this would have been better conceived as a country folk-focused album about life, memory, love. I worry what the dramatic family issues will bring.