FILE - In this May 18, 2016 file photo, Neil Young poses for a portrait in Calabasas, Calif.  Young will be Dan Rather's first guest for the new edition of Rather's series, "The Big Interview." Young will be featured on the Sept. 13 episode airing at 8 p.m. EDT on AXS TV. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File)

Neil Young Details New Acoustic Album “Peace Trail”

Neil Young has penned protest songs on just about everything, from the Iraq War to Michael Jackson‘s Pepsi endorsement. Yet it seems that his resolve has only strengthened with age. Now, the ever outspoken Young – and 2017’s Bluesfest headliner – will continue waging the campaign for waging heavy peace with his latest album Peace Trail.

Predominantly an acoustic helping, Young’s latest album was cut in Rick Rubin‘s Shangri-La Studios alongside accomplished session musicians Jim Keltner on drums and Paul Bushnell on bass. If the Candian ex-pats recent track Indian Givers is anything to go by, the singer’s creaky, but ever-emotive vocals will drive the album.

Indian Givers protests the controversial construction of an oil access pipeline close to a Dakotan Indian reserve. Taken in conjunction with newly revealed song titles My New Pledge and Texas Rangers, there’s little question the album will continue on this overtly political bent.

This said, track titles like Terrorist Suicide Hang Gliders and My New Robot hint at more lighthearted and surrealistic helpings; Young’s ambitious creative strides have often led to his most compelling work, so these tracks may well be the most engaging spins.

The singer has also teased that he’ll be eschewing some of his usual proclivity for good old fashioned recording and working in some auto-tuned vocals. It’s not the first time the artist has modulated his voice, a vocoder obsession in 1982 led to Trans one of the singer’s most outlandish records. Nevertheless, auto-tuned Neil Young certainly will be interesting.

While a final release date has yet to emerge, Young has let drop that the album will be available in January. Peace Trail will be available released as a CD, digital download, cassette, vinyl and of course via Young’s hi-fidelity Pono format.

Check out the full tracklist, below.

Peace Trail:

01 Peace Trail
02 Can’t Stop Workin’
03 Indian Givers
04 Show Me
05 Texas Rangers
06 Terrorist Suicide Hang Gliders
07 John Oaks
08 My Pledge
09 Glass Accident
10 My New Robot

Image: Mercury News