Lock up your daughters and stash your heirlooms because another Neil Young and Crazy Horse album is on the loose. The aptly titled Barn, recorded in a restored 19th century log barn in the Rockies, exhibits all the traits you’d associate with a Neil Young and Crazy Horse album. There’s a balance of light and heavy, raw in some spots, refined in others. Bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina keep the foundation steady for Young and Nils Lofgren to get their guitars tangled up on.
NYCH albums are typically wild messes, a sordid mix of hits and misses on which the band’s approach is akin to target practice. Everybody’s looking for the next Zuma or Rust Never Sleeps, and 2012’s Psychedelic Pill, with its weird, long-winded detours, came damn close to quenching everyone’s fix. So how does Barn stack up? Let’s take a closer look.
Having Lofgren back in the lineup since Frank ‘Poncho’ Sampedro left the Crazy Horse fold has enabled the unit to broaden their arsenal in certain areas. It was apparent on 2019’s Colorado, and it’s pretty obvious the moment the needle drops on the opening track, “Song Of The Seasons.” Lofgren is prominently featured on accordion, guiding and softening Young’s shaky vocal, wandering harmonica and jangling rhythm to create a sweeter, almost angelic tome. They go deeper with “Heading West,” which finds Young grinding out notes as Lofgren’s piano pads the turnarounds.
Barn has Young and the Horse running in a lot of different directions. “Camerican” finds the singer explaining his dual citizenship over a crunchy, driving tempo. “Shape Of You” and “Tumblin’ Thru The Years” bounce away carelessly, whereas “They Must Be Lost” and “Welcome Back” meander a bit, morphing into filler or the Horse bucking up, depending on the mood of your day. “Human Race,” in classic form, guns the pedal, its pointed message perpetuated by Young and the Horse on the breaks. It definitely deserves a place on a future NYCH set list.
It all ends on a wistful note with “Don’t Forget Love.” Young reminds us that in the face of adversity, struggle and hopelessness, there’s always a bright light. That’s something the world needs now more than ever. Leaving the Barn door open to interpretation, Young and the Horse are apt to carry on until the dust settles and we’re all at peace with one another. And then they’ll keep going.
~ Shawn Perry
