Neil Young's latest release Fork In The Road is an enigmatic embrace of his own new car technology and a discordant diatribe against the modern day dysfunctional auto industry. At the same time the album is a celebration of every American's birthright to ride the country from coast to coast if they so please - and the songs narrate an anticipatory theme about a world where a new generation will be hitting the road on alternative energy. Thus, we've come to the fork and Neil points us in the direction we should go - and that's far away from our reliance on fossil fuels and oil.

LincVolt is Neil's new venture that aims to inspire a generation by creating a clean automobile propulsion technology that serves the needs of the 21st Century and delivers performance that is a reflection of the driver's spirit (in other words, this is no "smart" car they're building - think big!). In fact, the project centers around a 1959 Lincoln Continental that Young has converted to hybrid technology and which he plans to drive to Washington, D.C. By creating this new power technology they hope to reduce the demand for petro-fuels enough to eliminate the need for war over energy supplies, thereby enhancing the security of the USA and other nations throughout the world. And the new CD serves as an infomercial for this bold and innovative undertaking.

"Fuel Line" praises the "awesome power of electricity" while chiding adherents of the old ways to keep "filling that old fuel line (fill 'er up)". On "Just Singing A Song" Neil points out how he's at the forefront of taking action to drive opinion on electric vehicles to a favorable place - and he invites his listeners to do the same as well because "just singing a song won't change the world." "Get Behind The Wheel" is aggressive and fast and could be a hit for its anthemic relevance to day to day life. "Light A Candle" is the only acoustic track here and it is a plaintive prayer to recognize the seriousness of the moment and of our responsibility to act now for our own good. With plenty of guitar licks and signature Neil chord patterns with slightly altered progressions Young gets more mileage from his proven design.

The 10 tracks roll on efficiently and feature plenty of car and technology references to keep the eco-techs and auto buffs happy. If Detroit could have only taken the cue from Neil Young, who has been consistently prolific through the decades, and pumped out quality vehicles that changed with the times -- perhaps we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place - but then, what would Mr. Young do for new material?

• Info: -- USA/CA 2009: www.neilyoung.com (Richard J. Lynch/Kweevak.com)