Neil Young’s Epic Reckoning With Mortality
The article reviews Neil Young's new album, 'Second Song,' describing it as a minor landmark that explores themes of mortality, time, and the cyclical nature of history. It notes Young's continued prolificacy and his ability to connect past and present through his music.
Why it matters
This analysis offers critical insight into the work of a legendary musician, demonstrating how artists continue to evolve and reflect on universal themes like aging and societal change, maintaining cultural relevance across generations.
The rock legend has stayed prolific into old age, and his new album, Second Song , is a minor landmark.
Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times / Getty September 18, 2026, 8 AM ET Share Save At first listen, Neil Young’s new song “Soon I Might Be Going” comes across like a sad shake of the head at the hot and Trumpy 2020s. Electric guitars fizzle with the slow majesty of a dying campfire; Young’s rooster-crow voice sounds tired and hoarse. He sings of a president on TV tearing down the old White House. He describes a Christmas in the Rockies that’s warm as summer, during which “the clouds that used to pour the rain / Are billowy and strange.” He notices new cars on the street, new buildings in his town, and feels like reality is starting to resemble fiction.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in