More music, more room for change.

Neil Young is being joined by new band The Chrome Hearts for the new album and tour Talkin to the Trees. This new band includes Willie Nelson’s son, Micha Nelson, Spooner Oldham of Harvest Moon, Corey McCormick and Anthony LoGerfo. This band backing Young gives slightly more power and sound that has not been seen in more recent Young music.

“A Family Life” starts out with a harmonica and keeps a simple vibe with folk tones and beats that stay consistent. “Dark Mirage” is where the music starts to pick up a little bit more. With old-school riffs and random winding drops, the rock theme is making its way to the album.

Sampling “This Land Is Your Land,” by Woody Gurthie, “Let’s Roll Again” has a rock undertone of the production, changing the lyrics to asking car companies to change what they are selling “Come on Ford, come on GM / Build us a safe way for us to be / Build us something won’t kill our kids / On down the highway from place to place.”

There is a slightly vague message in “Big Change.” Lyrically, this song is absent. There is possibly a point to be understood from very minimal lyricism about change coming; however, it is simply not enough.

“Bottle Of Love” has the coolest tone and sound on the album, with soulful, deep instrumentation. The message behind this song is also sweet: “All your tears are being saved in a bottle of love, go and touch the animals.” This production and transformation of creativity from the rest of the album shows what the band is capable of as well as their range.

Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts are undoubtedly a group of talented people. Yet, there is something to be said about most artists who put out as much music as Young. With each release, listeners might be searching for more and the band definitely shows that but something is still missing. Young is a singer/songwriter at heart and will always stay true to what he knows. There is an audience for this, though it can get repetitive.