Neil Young Releases 50th Studio Album Second Song

Neil Young, an 80-year-old songwriter, has released his 50th studio album, titled Second Song. His new recordings mostly seem to exist to document his passing interests, feelings, and collaborators. Between 2019 and 2022, three unadorned reunion recordings were released with Crazy Horse. Additionally, Talkin to the Trees was released as the debut album of the group Chrome Hearts, with two tracks on that album using the melody of This Land Is Your Land.

When Young entered the studio earlier this year, he was unsure about his new material and initially had only five songs. These songs were slow, shapeless meditations, and a few of them lasted around 10 minutes. The title track of the album felt like an extended jam over the rising chord progression of Harvest Moon.

Young expanded the album with new interpretations of two older songs that had not previously appeared on a studio album. These two tracks, Casting Me Away From You and I’ll Love You Forever, previously appeared on the 2009 box set Archives Vol. 1.