After dalliances with an orchestra and antique lo-fi recording equipment Neil Young is back to playing rock n roll with a band. Not Crazy Horse this time but a group that includes Willie Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah. It’s a political statement in the vein of Young’s other strident environmentally themed albums but even if that doesn’t interest or inspire you there is plenty to like sonically with long winding, distorted tracks mixing with Harvest Moon-esque ballads (‘Wolf Moon’) and the catchy whistle-led country rock of ‘Rock Star Bucks’. The Monsanto Years is a strong but not essential addition to Young’s expansive catalogue of music.

Chris Familton

this review was first published in The Music