ALBUM REVIEW: Talkin to the Trees

Brennen French, Staff Writer |

ALBUM – Talkin to the Trees

ARTIST – Neil Young

LABEL – Reprise Records 

GRADE – C

On June 13, Neil Young released his latest album Talkin to the Trees. This album encapsulates personal growth and nostalgia, directly talking about Young’s family life and growth. With a mix of 10 songs, this album brings the listeners a mix of country, rock, and folk-style music. 

While I personally enjoyed the album, I was extremely underwhelmed by the presence it had while listening. To further elaborate on that, most of the songs lacked any depth. The lyrics felt too literal, too bland, and leaned too much into typical country tropes. 

I understand that Neil Young is known for that, however, I don’t usually get bored. This being said, Talkin to the Trees did have a few excellent songs—my favourite being “Dark Mirage.”After listening to it a few times, I have come to the conclusion this is about Young losing family, particularly his daughter, “to the darkness inside” which leads me to believe this was evoked after the passing of his wife Pegi Young in 2019. 

“Dark Mirage” is a great example of how this album can come too close to his personal life, almost leaving the listener feeling a little awkward. I praise Mr. Young for releasing such a raw and unfiltered song during such a difficult time in his life. 

Overall, this album is worth a listen purely for its artistic bravery. By bringing such a strong sense of emotion forward in this album, it feels as if the listener can get secondhand emotions.