You Want It Darker

Good record.

I almost like Traveling Light

Good album, a fitting farewell

It's something. That's for sure.

In his last few months before his death, Cohen curses God and all He represents. The compositions are minimalist. Very slow and simple, it's a focus on Cohen's repeated motifs (like the flame of flowers), and the despair in his aged voice. The strings and back vocals match the vibe well. It seems like he wrote the lyrics first as poetry, and requested what kind of accompaniment he wanted. It works well, but the instrumentals sound purely supplementary which often leads to a forgettable experience if you weren't particularly moved by his words. "You Want It Darker" is a powerful opener, and likewise "Steer You Way" and the "String Reprise" beautifully and solemnly close the record. Everything else could've been stronger in some way. But nevertheless, a beautiful listen, just as long as you pay attention. Favorites: You Want It Darker, Steer Your Way

I can see why someone would like this, but to me it wasn't a very enjoyable listen. The lyrics were good, really good even, but the actual music itself was kinda boring. Not a fan overall, but it wasn't bad either.

Having never heard them before surprised me with the arrangement and lyricism. All really good. Would listen to again.

That felt much longer than it was. He has a good voice and the strings were a nice touch, but there was nothing interesting or challenging on this album. Very straightforward. 3/5.

Kinda spooky

Though I knew the name, and likely heard his music, I couldn't have named one Cohen song. At all. This album reminded me of Tom Waits, though that may be unfair, as I don't know who came first. Slow, but not dull, the lyrics and music blend to set mood. Well done.

Can I have it even darker?

Found it lyrically interesting but musically lacking.

This was actually pretty good, the style is not my go to and won't start now. Was a good listen tho Will I listen to again: 5%

Really unique. Slow and throbbing. Sooooo far outside of other music I listen to, but genuinely quite enjoyable.

Sounds like him

Made me sad :(

Not really. This is dark enough. Gentle night music with the soon to die LCs poetry over a sparce melodic background. You've really gotta be in the right mood for this.

Easy listening, more spoken word than singing

Nice instrumentation. I'm not really a fan of spoken word, but I could think of it as a poetry recital. It does fit

Soothing background music. Probably quite poetic if you listen closely enough.

I'm torn on how I feel about this album. It's so unique that it's hard not to like it for that alone. Cohen's voice is very powerful, every word he says feels like it has weight. Unfortunately, as a musical number it feels very flat. Especially in the first half. His cadence doesn't really change over the course of the whole album. His "singing" consists of just barely changing the inflection in his voice. It's a weird dichotomy where the lyrical content is very emotional but the delivery of those lyrics is very emotionless. Songs with some extra flare and background vocals like "Traveling Light" helped break up the monotony. I think Cohen just needed some more variety to accent his one-note vocal style.

I liked the first song because of the halo soundtrack. Otherwise, Leonard’s style isn’t really for me. 6/10

I feel like I am inside his throat. He’s got a great old person voice. Good backing music. Lyrical style was very repetitive to the point I thought I was listening to a duplicate song. Not as good as the first album we had of his. Definitely have to be in a certain mood for this kind of music. 6/10

Okay, not a mood I often find myself in

Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker is a drowsy, solemn epilogue. Really, he is basically just talking on the album, but that isn’t necessarily horrible for the tracks. Sometimes, the comfortable and relaxed production, which is evident on all the songs, takes over and nicely balances with his voice. Other times, Leonard just talks with no evident cohesion. Highlights include It Seemed the Better Way and String Reprise / Treaty. All in all, You Want It Darker is an alright album. Best Song: String Reprise/Treaty Worst Song: You Want It Darker

I still think, Cohen is better as a poet than as a singer. He brilliantly creates a dark atmosphere, but I probably won't listen to the album again.

Somber, dark, decent

Music to examine your mortality by. Cohen has never done it for me but this is an experience. I don't think I'd ever listen to this again but I'm not mad that I did.

Love the title track, and Treaty always gets me. I think the existence of this album is more compelling than the actual musical quality. Will inevitably come back to this, even though it's more spoken word than song

prettyyyyy pretty good. starts very strong, kind of gets monotonous after awhile

Cohen experienced some kind of revival when Old Ideas came out. His humour and sense of self-awareness made him relevant again. You Want It Darker is certainly the best of his three most recent albums and a fitting way to say goodbye. But outside of two or three tracks, Cohen just fails to capture my attention and nothing really sticks with me. The biggest advantage this one has over his other albums is that the production is actually nice for a change.

Old man talking about old man stuff.

To me, it's not a remarkable or grandiose album, but it still contains some heartfelt and well produced songs that are worth listening to.

Another bleak, elegant Leonard Cohen album.

Very chill.

Some badass lyrics. Can't help thinking I'm listening to a very religious batman tho. 3 stars.

Great lyrics, but enjoy his older songs more

Even better on the 2nd listen

Such a smooth album. I love the introspective nature of the music and the lyrics. It sounds wise. His super low voice caught me off guard at first. I dig it. It's a bit slow and sad so I don't know if I'll ever revisit it but I definitely appreciate it.

Pretty good songwriting, but the vocals were rough.

Poeh. Een albumpje met zo’n ontzettende duistere/spirituele toon. Cohen bewijst op de valreep van sterven nog maar eens dat ie een meesterlijke songwriter is. Z’n stem is op dit album een beetje op een oude Iggy Pop beginnen te lijken. Soms is dat wel moeilijk om naar te luisteren. Maar ja, mag het even, 2 weken na de release lag ie tussen 6 planken. Dan mag je als een aardbeving met een 11 op de schaal van richter klinken. Tis geen album die je ff voor de leuk opzet. Ik vind de oude zooi van Cohen een stuk boeiender. Ookal speelt hij in dit album open kaart en opent hij z’n hart en kaart lastige thema’s aan, zoals leven, dood, religie en spiritualiteit. Highlights: Treaty, You Want it Darker Rating: 7/10

You Want It Darker is dé definitie van een zwanenzang. In hetzelfde jaar dat Bowie iedereen verrast met een afscheidsplaat, zegt ook Cohen de wereld vaarwel met een album een paar dagen voor zijn dood. Ik moet eerlijk zeggen dat ik de hele plaat eigenlijk altijd een beetje heb vermeden. Wanneer heb je hier nou zin in, wetende wat komen gaat? Maar nu ik de plaat een keer de tijd en aandacht heb gegeven vind ik het een indrukwekkend werk. De stem van Cohen in You Want It Darker is waanzinnig vastgelegd en komt echt binnen (mits luisteren met goede koptelefoon of oordopjes). Treaty, het tweede nummer op de plaat, vind ik ook prachtig. De nummers daarna zijn wat meer 'klassieke' Cohen nummers, en wat minder bijzonder. Traveling Light vind ik erg mooi, met name door de kleine beetjes viool en de wat middeleeuws-klinkende gitaar. Een hoogtepunt op het album. In It Seemed the Better Way ook een viooltje, maar dit nummer lijkt teveel op You Want It Darker. Dat de violen halverwege het album hun intrede doen is natuurlijk geen toeval. Dit is natuurlijk het begrafenis-instrument bij uitstek. In het slotstuk is er geen Cohen meer, maar zijn de violen er nog wel. Een uitvaart, zo ervaar ik het. Tot Cohen toch weer even begint te zingen... dat was wat vreemd. Tijdens het luisteren kon ik de gedachte niet onderdrukken: laat alstjeblieft T. Waits ook een zwanenzang-album maken voordat hij sterft. 7.5/10 Highlights: You Want It Darker Treaty Traveling Light

Placeholder. I’m interested in hearing more Leonard, but I didn’t have time to listen today. Will revisit

Maybe this will slap more when I'm older

An interesting and (very) dark album about a man who's life is clearly now in the rearview mirror. You best find something uplifting to listen afterwards to pull yourself out of being clinically depressed. I'm not saying it's bad, you just have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it.

Fine if you're in the right mood. I was not

Dark, unique, interesting.

I wasn't familiar with him surprisingly. It was interesting.

Sullen, beautiful, poetic and mysterious. Of course, Leonard’s voice is iconic. Each track feels like a story is being told to me. The music is haunting, yet keeps me engaged and focused on the tale being told. A legend in his own right.

More of a spoken word album than music. Kinda enjoyed it as mood music.

I can appreciate the poignancy of an album about aging and mortality that was released right before the artist's death. And the album has a vibe. Unfortunately, there is a sameness across the songs that made it hard to get too lost in it.

Appreciate getting exposed to someone I had zero familiarty with prior to now. Still not sure I'd seek out his music otherwise.

super distinctive voice, the album didn’t do much for me but i know of how iconic Cohen is

Not his best work.

Very beautiful music. Not something I really ever see myself wanting to listen to more, but so far I'm surprised by the variety of the songs despite simultaneously all sounding exactly the same. Not my cup of tea, but I can respect it. 3/5.

more albums should have a reprise at the end

T’was fine. A good 3 star.

Surprisingly deep voice and good lyrics too

Okay

I had not listened to this album before. It was a bit of a challenge.

Great songwriting, production was a little strange. He seemed almost to be caricaturing himself a little with this one.

Perhaps not his finest hour, but his final album which renders it important IMO. Overall I found it moving and loved the first and penultimate track, but they are probably the only ones I’ll revisit. Amazing poet, glad we had him for as long as we did.

Definitely dark

As the title states, this is dark. An artist's final words at the end of a long career. Ugh.

Can’t see going back to it. It was fine

Great music

Loved his voice, the first song was def the best one went a bit down from there…

Not for me, appreciate the story

Dark and emotional album

Duplicate

Second of five Leonard Cohen albums reviewed. In a nutshell: Leonard Cohen not-really-sings-he-recites-poetry-in-his-baritone-voice about being ready to die. Again, Cohen is reliable for creating memorable lines. The music arrangement is consistent (the bass, bass synth, melotron, stripped back drums, strings etc) although cliched in my opinion. Overall: 6/10

liked it better after I read the reviews

His voice is amazing first of all but also not bad music though I haven't listened to this type much before

Slow gravelly songs about death and God. Released shortly before his death

A bit dark

I really respect and appreciate his music, but I just have a hard time actually listening to Leonard Cohen 3.5/5

This was better than the previous Cohen albums I reviewed. I prefer the melancholic jazz with Cohen's dour poetry over the fluttering folk he did in the sixties. That said, there's too much Cohen in this book.

3.4

I liked it way more than I expected to

More interesting than the other late Leonard Cohen albums I've heard. Goes for a fatalistic & sarcastic Coheny mix of religious/interpersonal often, seems to have less range that way than other albums. Some neat turns of phrase, steeped in nihilism in a way that bothers me more than it used to. There's a song where he sings just a little & it sounds very good. I do wish that older Leonard Cohen had sung a bit more often. music: ok. (⌐⬤_⬤)

His deep voice singing almost seems like a joke, it’s like Ralph inneson when he’s on a podcast and it feels like it’ll damage your speakers. It was pretty good though.

Too dark for me.

Different

Enjoyable and unique, Leonard's voice contributes a cool niche sound, but it would be nice to see some more variety in his delivery and less of a one-trick-pony approach

Sounds like music from a man at the end of his career/life.

I liked this significantly more than the early era Cohen we got a few weeks ago. The songwriting is strong here, and although Cohen's voice is not necessary an easy listen, it suits the atmosphere of the music well. A pretty strong three.

Siempre a favor de abuelo con voz ronca cantando con música del chill. Y más aún si es el de Aleluya.

weird! started bad weird but once you got used to it it becomes good weird

Man, if this was any more bleak it would just be a picture of the Dust Bowl. I mean, it's probably more of what I associate with Cohen, but... man. It is just so dark and depressing. Maybe it's the vocals? I was not expecting super uplifting, but it just... wow, super downer. For me, it crossed the line from darkly beautiful to overly depressing. Maybe I was just not in the right mood? I don't know. It was good, but just... man. Not something I want to listen to over and over again.

This is a hard listen. Finely structured songs. But as with most of his output it is difficult to warm to his delivery.

Klingt Recht düster, hat gute Themen und Lyrics, aber durch den gleichbleibenden Stil fühlt sich das Album länger an als es ist, nichts zum durchhören

Never got into Cohen despite being encouraged to by my fellow Jeff Buckley fans. I hadn’t been huge on what I’d previously heard but I appreciated the artistry. You can’t argue with the artistic merit of the man who wrote Hallelujah. With that said, speak-singing is not my thing, man. I like the bluesy elements and gospel touches, Cohen always brings religious imagery to his art which I never object to. This project has very tasteful instrumentals and it’s very well produced, but I can’t get behind the vocal delivery, which makes this hard to enjoy. Cohen is much more a poet than a singer and his words are wonderful. It’s just not for me. The title track was a great, refreshing introduction that got my hopes up, but the rest of the album had comparatively little to offer. As albums by singer-songwriter legends from 2016 go, this is unfortunately no Blackstar. Maybe I’ll like this album more when I’m seventy. Best track: You Want It Darker Worst track: ? 3/5

Loved the title track. The rest is all much of a muchness

It’s old white mans spoken word. It’s such a good soundtrack if you’re coming home from the factory to only go home surrounded by fighting and arguments, you eat the same bland meal and you have your one beer to fight the depression and after doing the usual you hop in bed your wife gently holding you but your lying on your back staring at the ceiling wondering to yourself what have I done, is this it? This is the soundtrack for whatever that is.

To me, this is more poetry than music. It’s beautiful and sad this was his last album.

Sad talking. Not for me.

Slow and moody

Pretty good but weird and kinda gloomy

é legal mas a voz dele me incomoda

Pretty melancholy, but great songwriting.

3.5

not bad, a little too brooding for me, but Cohen is a great song writer!

Hard to say

Sparse album that lets you really focus on the vocals and lyrics. An album that needs the full attention to listen to. Great but difficult.

Every song just sounds like the same brooding, gravely, voice of his. It's not offensively bad or anything but it isn't anything special to me.

first Leonard Cohen album for me, and I enjoyed but nothing stands out as all that great. 2.7/5

Learning the backstory behind this album made it better, has a beautiful ending as well. Length was good, but I’m not gonna be coming back to it all the time

Really reminds me of johnny cash. More about love and sorrow I suppose? Empire of dirt comes to mind when hearing this. Wasn't too crazy for this one, but good music

Interesting, not my style but got a few head bops - Spoken word mostly

Very Hurt by Johnny Cash but with a much deeper voice. A lot of religious imagery. Definitely see some songs being in movies. Not particularly for me, but it's nice.

Groovy and indeed quite dark. Spooky deep old voice, bro definitely died of lung cancer. Super different vibe from anything I’d normally listen to. He was talking more than actually singing. Nice and short though.

Very sad very powerful

It's pretty good, not sure if I would listen to again however

Somber, easy listening Distinctive, deep, and gravelly voice

Depressing

Heard before: No Favourites: You want it darker, On the level, Steer your way Decent album. Guys obviously a great writer but his lyrics don't click fully with me personally, though maybe one day. Appreciate the themes he writes about though, especially considering he would die a few weeks after the albums release.

Lyric and solemn, with some really good arrangements. Not my cup of tea honestly but it has its place.

Good if you’re drunk on bourbon and smoking cigarettes alone. A bit quiet.

Ik ben geen grote fan van dit stem geluid. Wel grappig dat ik hierdoor heel bewust naar de tekst luister ten opzichte van normaal. Productie echt sick

Nice start, too religious -y at the end

Gloomy introspective type album, slow and quiet

good voice, but what's with the narration?

old man growls into microphone

It’s alright.It doesn’t outstay its welcome.Leonard cohen’s voice is nice enough,it’s a very dry album quite bare and lacking in energy,lots of religious references,basic Leonard cohen.

I see it’s good/important, but not really my thing

I enjoyed this album a bit more than his early stuff. It's good album to listen on a cold rainy day with a healthy pour of single malt scotch.

I appreciate Leonard Cohen, I just don’t like most his music.

It’s neat that Cohen was able to release this in anticipation to his death. It’s a cool story and a nice way to shut the door on a legendary career. His dry witty humour shines thru on this one even thru the somber theme of death. I just want more music, it was nice but I can’t give it more than 3 stars

Decent album. Not a fan of the overdramatic violin.

Never got round to listening to this when it came out, though I did listen through some of his earlier acclaimed albums after his death. The opening track on here is brilliant, his voice is so dark and brooding throughout the whole album. It's one to give some more listens to, as it feels like it'll open up some more. I like what i'm hearing off first listen.

Like the loud rockier numbers but the slower ballad song are pretty forgettable

He definitely shines in this album in a way that he didn't in the previous one we listened to, or perhaps he did but I simply could not appreciate it properly He has a very powerful prescense and Steer your Way is a really nice song Overall it was not too crazy but a nice experience. I recommend reading his biography on his Spotify page, I'm about halfway through but it's written really well and is very introspective and captivating

Whispering croaky chap

I thought this was gonna be some boomer nonsense after the first song but I actually liked this one a good bit. Obviously his voice is an acquired taste but I was able to get past it and enjoy it on some songs. I think the songs that hit the hardest for me are the ones like leaving the table and treaty that give off a feeling of surrender and acceptance of your life despite regrets and shortcomings that’s very haunting coming from an artist near his death. That being said the title track was really bad to me and I don’t like the ones where he’s trying to be slick or cool.

3.5/5. La primera canción es 4.5/5. Después flojea un poco. En general, inesperadamente bueno.

Cohen is such a difficult one for me. Much like MF Doom or the Beastie Boys, he only really has one flow, one poetic structure. Most of the time it's so good, and paired with that amazing gravelly voice, that you don't really mind. Musically, the songs are also incredibly simple. There's no real development or variety. It's kind of like brickwork - just one block after another on loop. All of which sounds like I didn't like this, which is unfair - the track You Want It Darker is a brilliant opener, and the whole mood of the thing is impressive. It's just that when you compare it to something like Bowie's Blackstar, it's a bit...dull? I gave it a second listen, and there are some nice rhyming couplets, but apart from the title track nothing really sticks in the memory.

Leonard drops down another level here with the vocals. This is an album that has the passage of time running through it. The macabre subject matter isn't hidden away from. It got a little too deep for me. It made me question things that I'm not really ready to question right now. This is a cool version of Songs of Praise.

first song was pretty solid. i like his other popular album better, but this wasnt horrible

Pretty good

You Want It Darker is the fourteenth album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen and his last released during his lifetime (he died 17 days after release). This critically acclaimed album has themes on death, God, and humor and has genres of folk rock and blues. It performed well commercially in Canada, the US, and the UK, being ranked within the top 10 of these countries' album charts. I loved the acoustic and moody vibes on this album. The music is sparse so the listener can focus on Cohen's gravelly voice which was hauntingly beautiful. This is a great album, but the mood and occasion has to be right to really enjoy it.

You Want It Darker is a great song but I didn't enjoy the rest of the album nearly as much. Still a great accomplishment considering Leonard Cohen's age at the time of recording. Highlights: You Want It Darker

Just not my thing

And We Got It Darker.

3.5 Woof, this was a heavy one. Yet another album written and recorded on the verge of the artist’s death, knowing it was going to be their last. This one is up there with Blackstar in terms of its reflective and haunting nature (and released just seven months after - 2016 was clearly a bad year for music), however, whereas I feel Blackstar offers a successful balance of mourning and celebration, there’s not a whole lot of celebration to go around here… I feel like I was genuinely listening to a dying man’s last words. It also felt just a touch more personal than Bowie’s in some ways, like we really got to explore the depths of Cohen’s final thoughts and acceptances regarding life, relationships, and religion that were in some ways relatable and in other ways just as cryptic. As someone who wasn’t really familiar with Leonard Cohen’s work outside of Hallelujah, I can definitely see now why he’s held in such high regard - this album is a lyrical masterpiece. Sitting here a day after I listened, I’m still finding myself mulling over his words and contemplating existence. That to say, I don’t think this album is perfect. I know Cohen is a poet first and foremost, but a lot of songs here leave a bit to be desired musically. While it admittedly matches the tone well, the musical backdrop feels a bit too subtle and funeral-ly at times to really pull me in, and in the case of Traveling Light, had too strong of “Italian mob boss” vibes to take seriously (that’s probably a me thing). Also, maybe a hot take, but I don’t love his voice, and a full album’s worth of that Death Valley-esque vocal range is a lot for me to handle. Overall, this has been one of the hardest albums for me to rate and review so far. Despite my best attempts, I can’t describe exactly what I think or feel about it - in some ways I think this could be higher than a 3.5 for me and in other ways it could be lower. There’s so much more I feel like I could touch on and yet even more I feel like I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of. At the end of the day, music is all about making us feel something right? Well, this album did that for me, and while I think I’m still figuring out what exactly that is, at the very least, I feel Cohen’s absence in the musical world today.

Can tell that it is more modern Cohen - but still a lil depressing.

Always an acquired taste, and one I’ve tried a lot over the years, Cohen’s style just isn’t for me. That doesn’t take away the validity of his music or this album. It’s haunting listening to someone’s final stamp on the world. Maybe it’s just a little to much for me at 5 AM when I’m trying to listen to it. Maybe it’s too much for anyone at that hour.

Cohen premeditates on the afterlife with a tombstone timbre as his two feet steadily sink down six.

3.8 - What might it sound like to sit next to Dracula at his death bed?

I don't think I'll ever listen to this again but yeah, I get it. Pretty depressing vibe.

Titelnummer is briljant, en een paar andere zijn ook mooi, maar het had zo erg een ep kunnen zijn, ik denk 3,5 ster

Норм

While a handful of tracks have very hollow production, there are a handful of genuinely gorgeous moments here and consistently introspective and powerful writing. RIP Leonard (but not actually because you were kind of a gross asshole)

Pretty good, not my favorite.

3/5. Dark and depressing themes, especially for a man who dies 2 weeks later. The title track is really good but there are some definite misses throughout. Some blend into each other, as is with most Leonard cohen songs.

this album is only a three bc im not as musically into it. the music is good, gospel lite, christian hymnal referential. all well in good to the concept of self decision making and avoiding institutions seeking to sway the mind. its a cool album. its just not for me. this is a great last album. and it feels thoughtful and grand.

Odd with a funky tune and a deep voice.

I really liked the instrumentals in every song. His extremely baritone voice worked towards the end of the album for me but caught me off guard in the beginning and took some getting used to.

Solid bassline to start off. The music is good and dark for a dreary day like today. Although it made me tired I think because of the casualness of his voice. There were some really good background instrumentals. Very gritty and weathered but definitely sleep inducing.

Meh. This is better than normal. I appreciate his dark unamused tone and darker voice on this one. Still better writer than musician.

Enjoyed this.

The mixing of this is a bit unsettling, it feels like he's whispering in your ear. Not bad, but I think his music is something I'd have to get used to.

Pretty weird. This guy's voice is super gravelly and deep.

It's really good poetry, and enjoyable to listen to with a glass of wine. But strictly musically speaking one would need another Jeff Buckley to turn these songs into 5 star songs.

All the tracks sound pretty much the same: poems read over a barely present melody. It is definitely a vibe, but it gets old after a few songs.

Very different Interest guy

if the rest of the album was as good as the title track it'd be a five-star ⭐⭐⭐

really good, i liked but not somthing i’ll listen to all the time

You Want It Darker og Steer Your Way er gode sange og resten er sådan også okay, men sidste halvdel af albummet er klart det bedste for mit vedkommende.

very quiet Cohen

- Incredible vocal performance and lyrics - Lowkey and groovy instruments - Songs blend together a small bit - Favorite songs: You Want it Darker, Leaving the Table

man, i loved it

If you like biblical references and generic love poetry you’re in luck. I wanted to hate it but I didn’t. I feel like Bowie and Cash had more deathbed gravitas and Cohen uses his voice as a crutch here…how pretentious is this review.

Jazz blues, not my style, but is a good album.

What a voice! He's making Tom Waites sound like a soprano!! Time has gone by very quickly, disappointed that things have come to a close. A very nice album, Mr Cohen's voice is great, and he is backed up by excellent instrumentation and songwriting. Lovely stuff. 3 / 5 stars.

When it comes to Leonard Cohen you know what you’re getting. That said his silly dulcet tones hit nicely even if the album as a whole could use an inflection of energy at certain points.

i love and admire leonard cohen but the only thing i really like on this album is the title track

dark and lovely

too poetic

Raw and brilliant musicianship with terrible sound quality. I know some will say this is the point but it is poor to the point of distraction.

It is possible, I think, to acknowledge the appeal of Cohen without actually warming to him. Part of it is to do with the fact that (to my unending sorry) I am not, and now will never be, a lyrics person. Part of it is reactive, and thus illogical. I live in a place captured by the Cult of Cohen, largely uncritical and in thrall more to the social image that coalesced around Cohen during his lifetime (reinforced, unsurprisingly, by his death) than to, say, his actual music. (This too is reactive and subjective on my part. Perhaps I should simply go to a therapist, rather than working out my issues with my habits via intermediaries like stylish singers of a certain age.) All that said. Songs like Chelsea Hotel are indubitably from the top drawer. this album is of far more modest origins, and should do him no favours. (I do like the cigarette on the sleeve. But there you go, I'm imprisoned by trite superficialities myself...)

I actually did not ask for it darker

Dark

3/5 İ really don't know what to think about the album because i don't have any background information on it. The singer's voice was deep but not that type that i would marry the man. İ liked the tunes but overall it wasn't much to my liking.

idk it was alright. Really depressing. May Lenard Cohen rest in peace.

Música hablada de Cohen bastante tostón. Un 3 por ser él, que si no era un 2.

favorite tracks - you want it darker, steer your way least favorite tracks - n/a

ca m’a rendue triste

Decent enough, got a bit samey

Música hablada de Cohen bastante tostón. Un 3 por ser él, que si no era un 2.

Really good emotional album

Leonard does it again. Title track and treaty are the best two here

I've never been a huge Leonard Cohen fan, but I do like this album. Haunting and beautiful in its own way.

Loved the instrumentation but couldn't really get into his voice. Maybe I'm not in the right mood, so will have to give it another listen to form a better opinion.

meh

It was fine, bit depressing though. Not my cup of tea.

Gravel in a washing machine lubricated with a darker pondering.

Somber tone to the whole album which makes sense given the context. The music itself is very solid, the vocals are strained at times and really fit the vibe of the album. 7/10.

I didn’t grow up with Leonard and although it’s OK, I don’t think it has the same effect on me as others.

Previously I noted Cohen's talk-singing style, and I feel it becomes perhaps too dominant and too growly in this album. I also have to wonder how much his by-then-massive popularity contributed to the critical acclaim. I mean, two or three of the songs are 4s, for sure. But the rest are solid 3s.

Nice deep voice man

Decent but can't imagine me listening to it a lot. Very different and that's to be applauded.

Way better than I'm Your Man, at least.

Not quite my jam. Reminded me a bit of Lou Reed or Johnny Cash. The ballads of a man at the end of his life.

Not as good as his preceding album, but still better than most songwriters' output.

Nice Leonard album. All of his stuff is good. Still like his earlier stuff better than this one though.

Cool & Kinda boring. 3 and a half

Damn his voice is raspy. Explores themes of religion and love, seemingly having given up on both by their old age. Very gospel-y songs with the organ in the background and the chord progressions reminiscent of church music. He practically speaks, his voice is amazing and raspy but I don't think it's very much "singing". Remaniscing about past, giving up on "me and you", connecting back to giving up on love, metaphoricially speaking to a past love. Superb bass on this album. The thoughts of a sad, lonely man who's been failed by both love and religion are around every nook and cranny of this album, the instrumental work on this album is wonderful, no musical sound is out of place or there by accident. Solid 6.5/10

Was not my cup of tea but very riveting listen.

not an uplifting album; heavy on the blues

What an interesting album! There is something incredibly poetic about Leonard Cohen releasing an album talking about the heavy topic of death, mere days before his own death. It feels so deeply personal that you can't help but feel like there's some level of prophecy going on here. I'm not the biggest Cohen fan, but this album really did catch my attention. "You Want It Darker" may very well be my favorite of any Leonard Cohen song I've ever heard. There is something about him honing in on this dreadful topic, both on the song and on the album, that drew me in. I DO want it darker, indeed.

Im not entirely sure what genre of music this is it almost seems more poetry than song. I don’t know if it’s for me but I respect the artistry of it I enjoyed it more on the second listen. Still not sure what genre to call this

It’s okay

Interesting. Liked it more than other Cohen I have listened to, but that may just be because of how raspy his voice is. Glad I gave it a go. 2.5/5

interesting to listen to once, don't know if i have the heart for it past that

Pretty Dark...

I love how the vocals are produced on this album. His voice has so much texture and putting it front and center in the mix highlights that. At its best, the album feels like reading poetry. The songwriting isn’t complex and the production is sparse. We really get to sit with the lyrics and his voice. I’d be curious to return to this album after listening to more Leonard Cohen. He seems to have crafted it knowing it would be his final album. That’s not something a lot of artists have the chance to do. Great album cover. Highlights: “You Want It Darker,” “If I Didn’t Have Your Love” (I like that he found room for a pretty straightforward love song on this album), “It Seemed the Better Way” (such a sad and beautiful violin melody)

What an interesting concept to have a "goodbye" album of sorts... his vocals are at the forefront, as they should be with the heavy lyrics.

as much as i find leonards music to be quite boring, this was a beautiful send-off. rip

S'écoute bien mais pas son meilleur, je sais pas pourquoi il était nécessaire dans les 1001

Revisiting from first listening in 2016- its not my favorite but is such a classic.

As a fan of late career Dylan there is a lot I appreciate here. A broken voice. An obsession with legacy and mortality. I think Dylan does it better but he is bob Dylan. I found the title track to be too much. The Russian choir, the bass, his voice. It just felt like an album of this would be too much. But then I liked it a lot more after that.

Okei nimikkobiisi oli aika hyvä, ja Traveling Light joka oli vähän samantyylinen. Ehkä pitää vielä kuunnella uudestaan ja keskittyä enemmän lyriikoihin.

So this is my third Leonard Cohen album now and it's still just fine. I like it but don't love it. Obviously this album being recorded just before he died makes it interesting and his voice sounds actually really great and I quite like it. But again you kinda get the same sounding song repeated over and over again.

Dark and brooding, nice

love the man but his voice is just too close to ASMR here and it's actually hard to listen for me

I really didn't understand the appeal of Leonard Cohen until i listened to some of his earlier records, which I thought were quite good. Later in his career, he had a bit of an revival and attracted new fans and treated his old fans with new material. This music i have less interest in, unless you're old and/or female, it's not for me. Listenable, but I prefer his back catalog.

I’ve been listening to some Cohen recently so it was fun to see this pop up. As usual, lyrics are introspective and pseudo religious, with some straightforward but not too simple backings.

Puro Cohen

This album compares and contrasts well with Black Star in different, morbid ways. I feel like they are both sort of reaching the same conclusion, but approaching it a bit differently as they age and mortality creeps closer. I feel like "You Want It Darker" and "Treaty" are the stand-out tracks. You Want It Darker is a better-than-average but feels like an intro that doesn't stand on its own as a track. Treaty I do like a lot. It reminds me of something Tom Waits would do, which is great in my book. From here after Treaty, it falls a bit short of what I'd want. Maybe I'm just not old enough, but it's just ok for me. The spoken-word delivery gets older and older the longer the album goes for me. I don't dislike it, but I want a lot more out of it.

Preferred this over Songs Of Leonard Cohen. Not exactly uplifting though

You Want It Darker is the fifth album from Leonard Cohen that I have reviewed for this list. I think I liked this album perhaps all of the other albums so far. I was still left wondering at times if Cohen is actually singing on this album. I have not yet reached a full appreciation of Cohen. I am primarily just getting through the albums. This album does have some guitar work that adds to the mood of the album. The overall mood of the tracks is okay and interesting even if I don't get in sync with Cohen's work. The lyrics to "You Want It Darker" are dark, but the track was a good opening for the album. I think I enjoyed "If I Didn't Have Your Love" and "Traveling Light". This album gets three stars because it was okay with a few additional bright moments spread over dark themes.

Eh, cool, but not really into Liam Nieson-esc vocals.. 6/10

Not used to this genre, but grew to like it towards the middle. A nice sombre album

Get this man a throat lozenge and a cup of lemon tea! Jokes aside, this is a beautifully intimate album. The backing band is a tight and dynamic collection of instruments, that is varied from track to track but cut down to just the essential pieces within any given track. Leonard's vocals whisper, growl, rumble and occasionally claw their way up into the lower musical register. The lyrics are quintessentially Cohen; poetic, built on a frame of relatable narrative and decorated to the hilt with evocative imagery and metaphors. I entered into the album thinking I wasn't in the mood for it. Turns out I was wrong.

Not my style of my Music, wouldnt listen again, but it is its good music

Definitely grows on you

That deep rasp tho 😍. Really really enjoyed it!

Loved the voice loved the mood 3.5/5

RIP Stripped back Lenny ❤️

Po prostu Cohen, nastrojowy niski głos. Spokojny, wyważony całkiem ciekawy.

I appreciate the music, but I don’t really enjoy Leonard Cohen.

I know he's a popular guy but this was a little too monotonous for me.

Second Leonard Cohen album to show up. His older gravelly voice gets a bit much for this long but I enjoyed it still.

David Bowie, great in his own right, released his last album in life "Blackstar", and passed away mere days later. As if he also knew his time was up, great Canadian folk artist Leonard Cohen followed suit in the same year. You Want It Darker, Cohen's last album in his life time, came out October 21, 2016. 17 days later, he died. There's not much left of Cohen's voice on You Want It Darker. What he has, though, he leans into. The titular song and opening track is, in fact, dark. Cohen sings about death in a very religious way. Similar to Balckstar, it's as if Cohen knows his time is up. Unlike Blackstar, Cohen prefers to keep things simple with his last album. This subdued sound is nice, but can lose steam after a few songs on account of sounding samey. Cohen is really dwelling in this sombre, grizzled mood the whole time, so you'll really need to be in the mood for that.

3/5 beautiful to hear, but not enough to buy it.

halleljewha

Dat zijn stem zijn uithangbord is, staat als een paal boven water. Muzikaal vind ik dat album net iets minder. Aangenaam om te luisteren, maar geen hoogvlieger

Leonard Cohen's a legend. This album isn't my usual cup of tea, but I'm glad to have experienced it.

Like the title suggests this a dark plodding album that is still quite fulfilling ecause of Cohen's incredible lyrical sense and dramatic delivery. The music matches the lyrical themes perfectly. I found something to enjoy in most every song. Thouvh in the end s little monotonous t ate higher than 3.5🌟

From the first track Cohen's vocals were like wrapping yourself in a warm fluffy blanket of "zero fucks given". Would pair well with whisky and a nice cigar

Perhaps never the artist to listen to if you're feeling a little down. Leonard's remarkable voice is always worth it though. Could listen to him read the phonebook.

This is the guy that does the true detective intro songs! Not something I would listen to a lot but a cool sound

Like a William Shatner album, but classier. Seriously, though, I was a little befuddled by this one. But still enjoyed it somewhat. Fave track was the title track.

6/10

I didn't expect to see this on this list at all. Only ever listened to Cohens best ofs/greatest hits. He died not long after this record was released and that hits home in the lyrics

Dark indeed. Quite cool if viewed as poetry set to music. I might listen again on my death bed with a whiskey in hand. Did hold my attention until the end though, even on a second listen.

Good songs. I wish I liked listening to L.C.

Salmer med bedre tekster og lyd. Men stadigvæk lidt kedelig til tider.

Cohen's farewell album. It's his later work so there's more electronic bubbling than acoustic folk. All that's left to say is thanks Leonard; you made us all want it darker throughout your career. Best Tracks: You Want It Darker; On The Level; Traveling Light

Comme vous le savez, j'ai une bonne dizaine d'albums a rattrapper suite a une semaine de vacances bien méritées sur la côte Atlantique. J'ai donc des preoccupations bien plus importantes que d'analyser l'album du cadavre de Leonard Cohen

Track 1- No Thanks. Track 2- I now remember how much I dislike Leonard Cohen as a performer. Track 3- This isn’t really for me. Track 4- Would be a really good song he actually sang it. Track 5- I would really love this song if someone else were singing it. Beautiful Lyrics but sounds like its being sung by Lurch from the Addams Family. I get that’s supposed to be his appeal, but it’s not working for me. Track 6- See notes for Track 5. Track 7- “Seeing a better way” to my heart if this were covered by someone. Track 8- A solid song. Love the fiddles. It’s got a good beat. I can dance to it. Would love to hear this without the vocals and just scrolling lyrics across the screen. Track 9- I do like the concept of the reprise. Bookends everything. The album is engineered beautifully- and you can hear every nuance of his voice (which for me is unfortunate.) Overall, I respect this man for everything he’s created. He wrote some amazing songs. The Jeff Buckley cover of ‘Hallelujah’ is one of the most amazing songs ever. Also I have a special place in my heart for Canadians. If I were a troubadour looking for songs to cover there’s a treasure trove here. I simply don’t like his vocal styling. Thanks for including me! I promise I’m not a contrarian!

I can appreciate Leonard Cohen as a lyricist, but as a singer/musician, not so much. Reading his words, I am a fan. Listening to him perform them, I am not. I just can't get into the talking over the background sounds, which always seem slightly religious. The mood is like being in a dimly lit cathedral where some creepy cult is going to jump out of the shadows. I think this was among his last albums, and perhaps he was trying to excise some demons because he knew his time was limited. I know I should probably like Leonard Cohen, but I don't.

Bien mais un peu déçue. Après avoir tant entendu parlé de l'artiste je m'attendais à quelque chose de grandiose. L'album est très très calme et assez monotone.

good background music.

Once I got over the initial weirdness factor, I actually didn’t hate it!

He comes off as using other songs to jump start his, then doing a tom waits voice over impression. The arrangements and assembly are top notch however. Does he do anything not sleepy on the edge of creepy?

2 1/2

It was alright. The instrumentation was pretty good paired with Cohen's voice, but I just didn't vibe that hard. Highlights: 1, and 4.

This was enjoyable, highlight track was traveling light for me, its not the best driving to work on Friday morning music but can see myself listening too again.

It starts great and it ends perfectly, it's a shame that the middle of the album is one long drone of boredom.

A me la voce di Cohen piace e questo disco potrebbe annoiare di più ma non lo fa e alla fine scorre abbastanza tranquillamente. Mi piace come il cantato si appoggia sull'arrangiamento minimale, il risultato l'ho trovato cinematico ma non scontato. 3.5 pieno.

Ah

Feels a bit unfair to review this as I could have paid more attention to it but in the right mood it would probably gain more stars. Recognised ‘Treaty’ from the recent Your Honor tv series and caught various lyrical gems that other writers would murder for. Pretty dark.

It finishes strongly but ultimately the title track sets expectations that aren’t met. Nonetheless it’s a beautiful and heartbreaking piece of work.

The song I already knew was the best one. A pleasant listen but nothing much stood out that I didn't already know. I find elements of the arrangement and production distracting.

Like pouring a fine aged brandy into a small, new glass.

interesting seeming to chronicle his wrestling with the end of his life, death, and religion. I am not a huge fan, but respect the content. Probably 3.5

This man's voice! Good lord, it does things to me. Didn't have my favourite leonard cohen song which is 'i'm your man' but still a really good album, love the dark/existential themes

An album that lives up to its name! There is a time and place for this album and I'll give it this - he's good at picking interesting lyrics. I kept finding myself guessing what he was going to say and kept being wrong. The lyrics can be... obtuse. Dude speaks in metaphors constantly. I loved the addition of backup singers and collabs. If the whole album was this guy, I think it would be a two. It's a solid three though and deserves to be heard.

Dark, bluesy on places, great feel voice. Good.

It finishes strongly but ultimately the title track sets expectations that aren’t met. Nonetheless it’s a beautiful and heartbreaking piece of work.

Not bad

A little somber, great deep voice tho! More references than I expected to gambling...?

Fande das sterbe Album von Jonny Cash besser.

Good for a listen, lots of raw emotion, but not something I'd listen to on the regular.

Nooit echt mijn ding geweest. Moest ooit Suzanne zingen bij zangles. Wat een hel! Wel een mooie Peaky Blinders sfeer, dus toch drie sterren

He’s got a very deep voice hasn’t he.

‘You want it darker’ is natuurlijk een fantastisch nummer. Verder had ik op iets meer zang en iets minder gepraat gehoopt.

Pretty cool 80 year old. It was a good listen, but not one I’m likely to go back to, save the first track. “As he died to make men holy, let us die to make things cheap” was an interesting lyric

Another Leonard Cohen. Again, nice to listen to. 3/5

Enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. It was really crazy listening to very early Leonard Cohen after listening to this album.

Cohen is good when you first encounter him but like Nick Cave, I've kind of grown tired of his schtick.

Good but like you get ir by the third track

almost a 4

3 - Musik, die man allein beim Rauchen hört.

Well, new Leonard Cohen certainly isn't my fave and this less little impression on me. Some nice bits and as ever, the poet over the song writer.

Decent.

It's darker alright. I like it decent enough. 6-7/10

Think of Johnny cash but down one octave. A little slow for me, but good album.