Young takes up mantle of folk protest singer

AMONG the crop of septuagenarian star rockers, Neil Young (pic) stands out for the earnestness of his beliefs and the prolificity of his output.

For his 40th solo studio album, Peace Trail, Young returns to his folk roots, taking on a role as musical storyteller as he raises his voice for the environment and the rights of indigenous people.

Peace Trail is the second release this year by the 71-year-old Canadian guitar and song-writing legend.

Earlier this year he put out Earth, a hard-charging live album on which Young turned up the volume and interspersed his eco-conscious songs with noises of bees, crickets and other creatures from the great outdoors.

Peace Trail is more mellow but starts off with a title track that could join the ranks of Young’s classic anthems, with a smooth electric guitar melody gliding across a Western-inspired drum rhythm.

Like on his most famous song, Rockin’ in the Free World, Young despairs at the plight of the world – but his tone this time is more wistful than prosecutorial.

Young is musically understated on much of Peace Trail, which he recorded with session musicians at legendary producer Rick Rubin’s Los Angeles-area studio.

Young holds off on the warbling extremes of his high-ranging voice, at times even appearing to employ Auto-tune software, and avoids the long orchestral passages that have often characterised his work.

After the rocking opening track, Young mostly strips back the sound. With his acoustic guitar, he unabashedly takes the mantle of a folk protest singer.

On Indian Givers, Young – a longtime advocate for indigenous people – rallies behind the Standing Rock Sioux fighting to block construction of a pipeline on the North Dakota plains out of concern for the safety of their water and sacred lands.

Ever topical, Young also hits back at suspicions of immigrants in Suicide Terrorist Hang Gliders ,a song with jolts of electric guitar.

He ends the album with My New Robot, a brief song that opens with signature Young harmonica before sudden computerised voices as he critiques the gadgetry that is the hallmark of consumer society. — AFP