Neil Young
Peace Trail
(Reprise Records)
4/5
What always sticks out most for me about Neil Young is his lyrics. On his 37th studio album, Peace Trail, Young’s words don’t shy away from the political, the spiritual, and, especially, the human.
Peace Trail, which is only slightly more electric and modern than what all Young albums will forever be compared to, Harvest Moon, echoes powerfully vague but concise lyrics, which are aesthetically wonderful and poetically pleasing (especially the last song, “My New Robot,” which includes recordings of Siri ordering a robot off amazon.com). These profound, potent, thought-provoking words are complemented by Young’s unique, methodical guitar-playing technique and sound.
A few of the songs, such as “John Oaks,” “Indian Givers,” and “My Pledge,” are more Bob-Dylan-performance-poem than song; it’s a technique that draws light on Young’s process as a writer and musician. However, the guitar is tragically misplaced on these tracks, its scratchy invasive noise feeling more like nails on a chalkboard than a six-string.
Thankfully, Peace Trail doesn’t have many eclectic solos interrupting Young’s legendary voice, which is still easy to hear, much like the calming ring of a lazy finger around a wine glass.