Second Song, Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts’ second studio album, is like an old recliner that shows signs of wear and tear but feels absolutely fine when you sit on it. It finds Young and his musical compatriots including the legendary Spooner Oldham haunted by what is happening to the planet and its inhabitants yet refusing not to see the beauty that remains among us.
The mostly acoustic album plays out like a musical descendent of his previous works Harvest Moon and the underrated Prairie Wind. Like those releases, there’s a loose quality to the songs as if they were written and recorded in one or two full moon sessions with the bare minimum of takes, using Young’s instinctual approach of “If it feels good, it’s done.” Those who have followed him throughout his six decades on the national stage realize that, other than rare occasions, Neil knows what’s best for Neil. There may be familiarity in the stylistic approach but the performances offer comfort akin to a fireplace warming up a room late at night.
Second Song features seven songs written by Young, five of which were previously unreleased. The remaining two tracks are rerecorded versions of “Casting Me Away from You” and “I Will Love You Forever” that were written in the early ‘60s and originally appeared on Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972.
Young’s frequent themes emerge in ways that remain captivating. Romantic bliss arrives via the sweet sentiments on “Earth Girl” as well as “Day After Day” and “I’ll Love You Forever.” “The Foggy Edge of Time” acknowledges mortality creeping up while reminiscing on forging his own path throughout his life. The nine-plus minutes of “Soon I Might Be Going” plays out like a fever dream of thoughts on the environment, politics, romance, confusion and mortality drifting by as Old Black punctuates the air with its infamous sonic growl after every verse, marking off the passing of what is and what was, one weary moment after another.
