Le Noise pairs Neil with vibe-master producer Daniel Lanois, resulting in one of the most richly idiosyncratic albums in his vast catalog. Lanois’ fingerprints are all over Le Noise, and his contribution, more collaborative than facilitative, makes the record. Neil’s heavily treated acoustic guitar, sopping wet with all manner of effects, adds new and previously unheard colors to his sonic palette. Rich echo and bold sonic effects augment even the lesser tunes, lending them a moody weight that seems almost focus-grouped to entice the lava lamp-gazing unemployables in Neil’s fanbase. Neil rises to the occasion with a solid batch of stormy, hypnotic songs, two of which are canon-worthy: the eternally-bootlegged and autobiographical “Hitchhiker,” an unflinching laundry list of Neil’s drug experiences, and the haunting and detail-rich “Peaceful Valley Boulevard,” as gorgeously downcast as anything Neil ever committed to tape.