★ ★ ★ ★
“It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” Neil Young sang those words forty years ago. With his latest release he’s showing no signs of doing either. Colorado sees Young back with his long-time backing band Crazy Horse for a vibrancy that he hasn’t shown in the studio for nearly a decade. This album displays the politically charged rage which has persisted over his long career.
With a grizzled groove and feedback only Young and Crazy Horse could accomplish, “She Showed Me Love” is their modern-day epic. The song deals with themes of ecology and rages against climate change in its relentless thirteen minutes. This rage is accentuated with “Green is Blue”, a gentle ballad with Young’s lamenting voice echoing through the tender cords of the piano. Young refuses to quit, attacking the Trump administration with ‘Rainbow of Colors’. He’s roaring loud and clear with lyrics that question the future but simultaneously offer hope as he reassures: “we the people are strong”. Colorado is an album of hopefulness with its love ballads and garage rock stompers. This album shows that Neil Young will never fade away as here, as it was fifty years ago, Young means every word and note he plays.
Ryan O’Rourke – Music Writer
