Neil Young has tried many things throughout his career, but he's never been better than with an acoustic guitar, giving that unmistakably fragile voice full reign. That's why his new album is such a delight - it harks back to the stripped-down pleasures of his earlier classics Harvest and Harvest Moon. About to turn 60 and just recovered from a brain aneurysm, Shaky is in understandably reflective mood, and the songs here are among the darkest and most haunting he's ever recorded. Just like Bob Dylan's recent work, this is the sound of a man growing old and trying to find his place in a rapidly changing world. The mood throughout is wistful and nostalgic, as Young lyrically compares the innocent days of old with the global panic of the post-9/11 era. The best thing he's produced in over a decade.

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