Reviews (page 3 of 14)
This is a fucking amazing album. Certainly as his last album it is dark and foreboding, but still somehow has a groovy life to it. Completely surprising. Can't recommend it enough.
wie ein Gedicht <3
Very enjoyable listen, excited for other Leonard Cohen albums to come up
A couple of the tracks were great, first one especially but I didn’t connect with this on a deep level. Definitely not ideal for my first Leonard Cohen album but I will probably revisit this. Solid 3 for me.
i was really dreading this one because he's my first repeat artist in this list and i hated his first album so much that it made me decide i hated 2 whole genres of music. but instantly this one is more my speed. what a difference 50 years can make! it's still a bit too slow and monotonous for my taste but i like it more than my last listen from him. it makes it hit harder seeing that he passed just a few months after this came out bro's all up in my ear tho. actually i think that's a big reason why i like this one more fave track: leaving the table
This was beautiful but I will cut it out of my life for the foreseeable future because I found the listening experience far too heartbreaking. I particularly liked the first song which made me feel villainous which was fun was all of the fun ended promptly once I decided to listen to what this guy is singing. I am so glad that I didn't have access to this music a couple years ago. Type of music you can put on at the beginning of the day to not even give it a chance. Incredible music I will choose not to listen to
I'll admit that I wasn't too taken with the first track... I found his voice a bit overpowering(?) and couldn't focus on other elements of the spng itself. That said, as the album progressed, there was a real tonal shift and both the music and his voice started to change into a much more deep and moving sound. So melancholy but really beautiful.
Surprisingly beautiful. His tone compliments the instrumentation perfectly
Dark evil stuff, jäbä delas kans
You Want It Darker is a profound and deeply reflective final statement from Leonard Cohen. With sparse, elegant arrangements and his weathered voice at the forefront, the album confronts mortality, faith, and acceptance with remarkable clarity and grace. Somber yet beautiful, it stands as one of the most moving and dignified late-career works in modern songwriting.
A beautiful farewell album
Little dark and heavy, he eats gravel
I listened to my CD copy on my monitors. And then I immediately re-listened to it on my headphones. Purely amazing in production, scope, and (most importantly) depth. The title track is, IMHO, one of the best songs the man has ever recorded. Leonard is a national treasure, and he is missed.
Good songs, but voice is too deep? Made me uncomfortable.
This was somehow heartbreaking and scary at the same time. Very dark. Goodbye felt like quite a commanding voice. Simultaneously hopeless and hopeful
Poignant, dark, real, honest, beautiful.
Dark….
Knowing almost nothing about Leonard Cohen and listening to this album was a treat. Excited to listen to more of his work. I really appreciated the melancholic, yet hopeful and appreciative demeanor displayed throughout.
WHAT A VOICE THAT IS!!!
His last album and it's one of his best. Raw and honest. Particularly liked 'Leaving the Table', which foreshadows his imminent death with a resigned acceptance, acknowledging his age and that bygone times now have little relevance to him. An album of confrontational prayer with a higher power and musings about his inevitable demise. I'll be returning to this often...
This is an exceptional work of art that I discovered a couple of years ago. I consider it the grand finale of a lifelong career full of poetry and artistry. Released only a few weeks before his death, it feels like a deliberate farewell. Here, Cohen fully commits to the themes that defined his work. The minimalistic production creates an intimate atmosphere that invites the listener on an introspective journey through mortality, faith, and regret. The songwriting is beautiful, and the album's biggest moments shine brightly. It is a magnificent work of art and a fitting closure to an extraordinary career. My favorite tracks are "You Want It Darker", "Treaty", and "Traveling Light."
The obvious comparison is Blackstar, and like that album it’s impossible to separate the death from the album. It’s a swan song, a heavy laden one at that. The music could be better but it is a great listen regardless
3.5
I swear every time I hear this album it seems to go up in stature. It's been a while since I've listened to it but, each time it seems to get more dire more... darker if you will. It's like he's simultaneously accepting of death and giving middle finger to God for ending it all. It's very mortal. His graveled voice accenting his weariness as well as his anger. It's very human. It's also to me possibly his best written album, word fir word. One verse from "Treaty" really hit me this listen: "I heard the snake was baffled by his sin He shed his scales to find the snake within But born again is born without a skin The poison enters into everything" This album cuts deep each time. (10) ★★★★★
Very human, very real. 4.5 stars
Much like Bob Dylan, Cohen takes what might be a weakness in lesser hands -- an aged, weathered voice -- and turns it into an asset on a late period album. The production is great (something that's often been a mixed bag on Cohen albums), the lyrics are dope, and it sounds both timeless and weird at the same time. It might be my favorite Leonard Cohen album. 4.5 stars.
4.5
You know what? I do want it darker. I want it so dark that the darkness turns purple. Leonard Cohen, before you pop your clogs to the other end of love just after making this album could I ever so please squeeze your droopy old man arms? And if it’s 10 years since you’ve been buried could I exhume you and squeeze what’s left of your muscles anyway? “When your corpse so mangled it erupts a hyena And the hyena feeds you tea and oranges that come from China If you angry so mad, ee tongue burst, and mouthjuice run gall-bladder bitter Then hyena gets you on her wavelength and river answers you’ve always been her lover. Then ee arth welcome, welcome to Cohen Jam”
This is awesome. I think it's added to the list of religiously profound media
I liked it at first but it grew a bit repetitive
Total weirdes album. Ist eher wie eine Erzählung als musik
It still surprises me to find so many of Leonard Cohen’s albums on this list. Even on *You Want It Darker*, there are no songs in the strict sense - in fact, they are more like poems recited to music (though, unlike *I’m Your Man*, the music here is more fitting). What makes the whole thing impressive is that Cohen is quite obviously “singing” about his approaching death here - largely without fear, at times with deep melancholy, but always from a place of ataraxia. I don’t know if I’ll listen to this album again, but “hear before you die” is actually a fitting recommendation here!
I didn't know what to expect coming into this album; I've mostly heard Leonard's hits. As I was listening I realised the few expectations I had were mostly true though; quite a pleasant voice, songs rather slow and mellow kinda thing. I have to admit it was better than I expected though, so props for that. A solid 3 for me.
- I wrote a lot about it on my last Cohen review, but tldr version: pedo (and prob a Zionist) - I lol'ed when I read this review "Blackstar but for depressed cowboys". - I really liked the first two songs - his voice is in a very low register, and he's using a lot of light growling tones that really work for the songs. - The other songs don't really live up to the openers - for me, it got less compelling as it went on. - I'm kind of ambivalent about the instrumentation. I agree with another review saying that he should have left it more stark. There's a lot of light instrumentation throughout that's maybe a little too light and mostly sitting in the high and mid registers. I know his voice is the low end, but it just felt a little unbalanced because the instrumentation sounds kind of thin. - The album is definitely more of a mood... I don't think that I left remembering any of the songs, in particular. - I appreciate that the album is pretty short.
This was very good. I look forward to listening to an earlier album. This is a weird first introduction to Leonard Cohen.
Brilliant
This feels like some shit a discord mod plays when they fail to get in a relationship for the third time. “You wouldn’t understand me I’m too sigma” or some shit. The instrumentals were cool tho
It is insane to me how Cohen’s words, over with genuinely interesting, eerily captivating production, have managed to cut through so sharply despite being caught in a war of attrition with his impersonation of Jeff Goldblum doing the Alpha wolf “Hello kitten” voice.
Leonard Cohen, to some extent, absolutely ruined songwriting for decades to come. His imitators are ubiquitous, and his style no longer his. That being said, Cohen, the icon, remained so totally able to command such a high register of emotional wholeness, that even in his last years, he preserved his artistic voice, complete and self-justifying. It is confident in a way few songwriters survive long enough to become. He still knew what he was talking about, somehow. Rest in peace. Four flat.
I don't think I know the context of this artist to really enjoy this. He's talking very interesting poetry at me, but the production is not really for me. 5/10
Мабуть, у Леонарда Коена таки немає поганої музики. 4,5
Oké dit is wel dingetje. Ik weet nog niet wat ik van dit album moet vinden…. De stem van de zanger vind ik bijzonder? Fijn en naar tegelijk om lang naar te luisteren? En dan muziek aanzich, die best goed technisch in elkaar zit. Maar toch als een mismatch voelt? Ik ga dit album herluisteren, wie weet wat ik er dan van ga vinden. Vandaag het album nog eens beluisterd, maar deze keer echt met aandacht. Dat maakt mijn beleving echt anders. Hoewel ik niet elk lied evengoed kan waarderen merk ik dat is de ambiance die gezet wordt door de plaat wel enorm kan waarderen. Een solide 3.5
Ik vind het heel cool, hoe leonard Cohen op deze leeftijd nog zo veel swag heeft. Meeste artiesten van deze leeftijd zijn zachtgekookte eieren geworden die nog steeds teren op hun tijd in de jonge jaren. Dan krijg je vaak een oude man die nog jong probeert te zijn. Leonard Cohen zet het juist in als een wapen en maakt als brombeer een fantastisch album. Tekstueel lukt het hem altijd om in een album te komen en de vrouwelijke vocals passen wederom weer erg goed bij zijn muziek.
Het eerste nummer komt altijd wel binnen bij mij. Met het koor wat een soort sacrale dementie geeft, de zware bas en het orgel en een donkere versleten" stem aan het absolute einde van zijn leven. Hineni, Hineni (God hier ben ik, i'm ready my lord "klaar om te dienen?") is zijn overgave maar het klinkt tegelijk ook wel weer uitdagend. Het album is de confrontatie met zijn eigen sterfelijkheid. Het is bitter, soms nog grappig maar ook relativerend. Het maakt deze terugblik op het leven heel melancholisch zonder sentimenteel te worden. Er zit veel joodse, bijbelse en religieuze verwijzingen waar ik natuurlijk ook bekend mee ben waardoor je bij het luisteren ook telkens word getriggerd. Er zit veel dubbelzinnigheid in de teksten waar je een eigen waarheid in kan vinden of er juist achter komen dat er niet één antwoord is.
Een prachtig album, en Leonard Cohens stem is als een oude wijn die met de jaren alleen maar beter wordt. Dit is de stem die ik het meest waardeer bij hem. Het album is zorgvuldig opgebouwd, met een gedragen, minimalistisch en goed uitgebalanceerd geluid. Wat dit soort albums zo bijzonder maakt, zoals David Bowies Blackstar, is de reflectie op het leven, de berusting en het laatste afscheid.
Very good, but I will need to relisten it again to truly understand the lyrics. You want it darker was such a good opener for the album
Subdued but atmospheric. Very good.
good, particularly the title track.
As soon as I saw Cohen's name, I knew this would be an emotional one. In a similar vein to Blackstar by David Bowie in the same year, this is a man reflecting on his life and doing something that very few musicians get the opportunity to accomplish: Saying farewell to his fans. He looks back upon the person he used to be, the person he has ended up becoming, and the world he is leaving behind, and the whole thing is this heartbreaking yet totally cathartic experience. Just beautiful and one that had me in tears at points. Favourite track: Treaty Least favourite track: N/A
I liked this album quite a bit. "You Want It Darker" does have a major problem, though. Cohen's voice had deteriorated on the album. which is understandable since he was nearing death during the recording of "You Want It Darker". Even then, Leonard Cohen's songwriting remained intact despite everything. In fact, I prefer him over Bob Dylan. 4 stars for "You Want It Darker".
Maybe this is because I'm not a poetry person but this feels less like a song and more like a performance that involves the audience snapping in response. It know spoken word is kind of his whole schtick but it's just not for me. As always, the melodies and instrumentals are gorgeous, the lyrics are incredible, but it's not really ... singing, is it? I respect his talent immensely and I understand why this album has so many rave five star reviews but it is just not for me. It's still getting 4 stars because I can recognize what a profoundly important and beautifully crafted album it is, I just will never listen to it again.
Vingt-quatre heures, c'est exactement le temps qu'il m'aura fallu pour retrouver mes esprits. Vingt-quatre heures à peine après m'être envoyé le dernier album de Johnny Cash, le magnifique et terrifiant The Man Comes Around, me voilà déjà en train de poursuivre ce voyage vers la maison de retraite du rock 'n' roll. Mais attention, ici on ne frappe pas à n'importe quelle porte, on ne va pas voir les grabataires qui radotent, non on frappe à la porte de Leonard. Monsieur Leonard Cohen, c'est pour vous. Il est là, assis dans la pénombre de sa finitude. Le costume est impeccable, taillé sur mesure, comme toujours. Le fedora est vissé sur le crâne, de travers, juste ce qu'il faut. Putain, même à l'article de la mort, ce mec a plus de classe que l'intégralité de la scène pop actuelle. Ce disque, c'est son testament. C'est le dernier album, celui qui offre un départ comme seul Leonard aurait pu le faire : un départ infiniment, atrocement, magistralement classieux. Je ne vais pas m'amuser à vous décortiquer la galette piste par piste, car décortiquer ce disque morceau par morceau, c'est chiant à mourir. C'est un truc de critique musical coincé du cul. Cet album ne mérite pas qu'on le dissèque comme une vulgaire grenouille sur une paillasse de laboratoire. On va aller droit au but, sans tourner autour du pot, ce disque est une merveille absolue. Un putain de chef-d'œuvre, un 5 sur 5 incontestable. Et je pèse lourdement mes mots car habituellemeent, je ne suis pas du genre à distribuer les bons points avec le sourire. Je suis plutôt acerbe, en général. Je peux être drôle, parfois. Irrespectueux, souvent. Vulgaire, quand il le faut. Mais là, face à ce monument, je m'écrase. Quand on lance You Want It Darker, la première chose qui vous écrase, c'est la voix. Une voix caverneuse, éraillée par la vie, le tabac et les années de prières. Une voix qui résonne comme un oracle au fond d'un puits sans fond. C'est la voix d'un type qui a un pied dans la tombe et qui s'en amuse presque. Sauf qu'ici, il n'y a pas de fioritures, il n'y a pas d'artifices cache-misère, il n'y a rien d'autre que le dénuement le plus total. La production, ciselée avec amour par son fils Adam, est d'une pureté à en chialer. Quelques chœurs spectraux qui flottent dans l'air, lourds de sens. Une basse qui rampe lentement, insidieusement, comme une ombre menaçante projetée sur un mur. Des guitares acoustiques qui pleurent silencieusement dans leur coin. On n'est pas là pour faire la fête, on l'aura compris. On est là pour écouter un homme faire ses adieux à Dieu, au monde entier et à l'amour. "Hineni, hineni, I'm ready, my Lord." Me voici, je suis prêt, Seigneur. Faut quand même en avoir une sacrée paire dans le pantalon pour ouvrir un album avec une déclaration pareille. Cohen ne lutte plus, il ne se débat pas bêtement, il ne triche pas. Il ne nous fait pas le coup foireux de la crise de jeunisme, contrairement à tous ces vieux rockers refaits au botox qui s'accrochent à leurs vingt ans comme des morpions à un poil. Lui, il embrasse sa propre fin, il la regarde bien en face, sans jamais baisser les yeux. Avec ce sourire en coin indéfinissable et une dernière clope allumée au bec. Tu le veux plus sombre, le monde ? Pas de problème, il éteint la lumière pour toi. C'est d'une irrévérence folle, quand on y réfléchit deux secondes. Le mec tire sa révérence en nous crachant une beauté vénéneuse et crépusculaire à la figure. C'est ça, la vraie classe, savoir quitter la table avec dignité quand on ne peut plus bluffer. Il n'y a plus de place pour les regrets à ce stade, plus de temps pour les conneries et les faux-semblants. Juste la vérité, froide, brute, nue comme le marbre d'un caveau de famille. Ce qui rend ce disque si percutant, si atrocement magnifique, c'est qu'il n'y a aucune once de complaisance. Cohen ne pleurniche jamais sur son triste sort. Il constate simplement les dégâts, il acte l'extinction imminente des feux. Il rédige sa propre oraison funèbre avec la plume élégante d'un poète usé mais invaincu. C'est presque insolent de beauté, c'est d'une noirceur insondable qui vous absorbe tout entier. Pendant des décennies, Cohen a été le roi incontesté de la mélancolie, le saint patron des cœurs brisés, le phare des marginaux magnifiques. Ici, il va beaucoup plus loin que tout ce qu'il a pu faire avant. Il touche au sublime, au divin, à l'absolu. Les chœurs masculins de la congrégation Shaar Hashomayim, qui l'accompagnent sur le morceau-titre, donnent une dimension carrément mystique à l'ensemble. On n'est plus dans un putain de studio d'enregistrement californien aseptisé. On est dans une cathédrale en ruines ou dans une synagogue abandonnée aux éléments depuis des siècles. La spiritualité transpire de chaque sillon de ce vinyle. De chaque putain de silence. C'est un album qui se savoure dans la pénombre, les rideaux tirés, et surtout, dans le silence le plus religieux et le plus complet. Parce que le silence, c'est vraiment tout ce qu'il reste quand les dernières notes s'évanouissent dans l'air lourd. Je ressors de cette écoute lessivé mais incroyablement vivant. C'est le paradoxe fascinant des grands disques qui parlent de la mort et de la finitude : ils vous foutent une baffe monumentale pour vous rappeler de respirer un grand coup et de profiter de ce qui reste à prendre avant que le chrono ne s'arrête. Léonard a tiré le lourd rideau de velours noir. Il a quitté la scène sans faire de bruit, par la porte de derrière. Et il nous a laissé ce diamant brut en guise de dernier pourboire. Un 5 sur 5 incontestable et c'est même sévèrement sous-noté face à un truc d'une telle envergure. Parce qu'on ne note pas la perfection avec de pauvres petits chiffres dérisoires. On s'incline, on ferme sa gueule, on se tait respectueusement et on réécoute. Jusqu'à ce que la nuit tombe définitivement sur nous tous.
It’s all very good but I just can’t listen to Leonard cohen speak for that long striaght
Penultimate Cohen. After this, I only have Songs of Love and Hate to get through. I don't remember anything about Songs From a Room because it was BORING, though I admittedly am interested in hearing what a late-career Cohen album sounds like. I'm pretty sure Leonard Cohen is the artist with the biggest decade spread on the list. He has albums from the 60s, 80s and 2010s. Technically the 70s as well, but does it really count if Songs of Love and Hate was the third consecutive album of his to make it onto the list and released in 71? Anyways, time to rip this open. Man if this fella's voice ain't gravely. Anyways, I wasn't feeling this one. Folk isn't my style, and having some creepy old Jew whispering in my ear for half an hour isn't my idea of a good time. The album is notably weak in the instrumental department, featuring a lot of the subdued, minimal compositions. The pianos in particular are airy to the point of being non-existent, and the folky guitars are incredibly mild, even by folk standards. Fortunately, the string sections are generally quite nice - notably on the final track of the album. The organs are decent, too. I feel ashamed for admitting to being a simpleton, but I didn't bother paying attention to Cohen's lyrics this time around. I know his style, and I find it to be a bit rambling. The songwriting, on the other hand, is generally quite adept. The rolling, smouldering vocal style never ceases to be distinctive and contains an intensity which is befitting of folk. Overall, I can see this album being a strong player in folk, but the style and sensibilities of this genre just don't resonate with me. Book time. This was added to the 2018 edition of the book. I don't have a scan of the 2018 or 2021 revisions, so book time is cancelled, it seems. Guess I'll bee line it right over to Wikipedia. Released 17 days before Cohen's death. Wow, 2016 was a cursed year, huh? First Blackstar and now You Want it Darker. Cohen's spine had fractured in multiple places by the time he got around to recording this album, with it being recorded exclusively in his living room as a result, with the songs being turned over to Cohen's collaborators via e-mail. The album also marked a pivot towards a more minimal sound and was very well-received by music critics, who put it on a few year-end lists. The album topped the charts in 12 different countries and peaked in the top 10 in 11 more. The album made it on to a ton of year-end charts, notably being the fourth best-selling album of 2016 in Belgium in addition to being the fifth in Poland, the seventh in Austria and the ninth in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Belgium especially liked this album, with it having also lingered on the 2017 and 2019 year-end charts. Yeah, these all seem like good enough reasons to me. I cosign this inclusion.
There’s something so devastatingly elegiac about this album, Cohen’s once velvet voice is reduced to a husky, almost spoken-word timbre. There’s reflections on relationships, religion and love, all swimming in the beautifully soulful orchestrations in the background and the rumbling bass of Cohen’s voice.
Beautiful, dark, sad... the last song almost being fully instrumental really got to me "We're never going to hear this voice again"... then he gave us the final few lines of his unbelievable career / life. Definitely not an album I'll listen to every day, but it's one of the best albums I've ever heard.
О, мой любимчик. Давайте до конца списка все альбомы будут только его. Полный восторг. Диапазон и мощь его вокала оставит не у дел даже Брюса Дикинсона. Разнообразие песен такое явное, что будто каждый трек писали разные люди. Количество интересных мелодий и гармоний в каждом треке просто зашкаливает, а аранжировками и продюсированием наверно занимались одновременно Рик Рубин, Брайан Ино, Буч Виг, Мартин Берч, Доктор Дре, Джек Антонофф и Макс Мартин. Удовольствие на кончиках пальцев, 12/10
Очень люблю этот альбом. Недавно переслушивала из-за сэмпла у Джеймса Блейка на его новом альбоме.
А я был бы и не против до конца списка слушать альбомы коэна) Лучше так, чем очередной бритпоп
хороший, приятный альбом, который переслушивать не буду, но потраченного времени не жаль - 3.5
Not bad. I prefer earlier Leonard Cohen before he’s excessively Leonard Cohen. It is was nice
First listen
unbelievably boring. just a guy with a dark voice.
another largely spoken word album. a couple of interesting songs/poem(?) but still of little interest to me
This is the only Leonard Cohen album I've generated so far where I've actually been moved by the music. Sometimes these albums recorded shortly before an artist dies end up being the most special of their career. The title track and "Leaving The Table" were my favorite tracks, but everything on this album was quite good. Definitely the best Leonard Cohen on this list.
A beautiful album. Some great tracks. Very meaningful origin story for why this album exists. Gets the "I'm gonna die soon" bump from 3.5 stars up to 4.
he got old, it is just like reading your diary out loud… sure it may ne lovely but it is not really music
Perdón Leonard, pero muy aburrido el disco... No llegué a conectar con ninguna canción.
Q verga
Це хороша музика, але я не можу уявити, щоб я повертався до цього альбому. Тут супер класна, емоційна лірика, але окрім неї важко щось виділити: інструментал мінімалістичний, вокальне виконання також. Це ідеальний альбом для того, щоб відкинутись у кріслі і роздумувати про життя, але мене (соромно визнати) альбом один раз ввігнав у сон. Хоча знов ж таки, це якісна музика, просто не та, до якої буду повертатись. Оцінка: висока 6/низька 7
What a voice! Based on the cover, now it would be worth it to smoke if one could gain such a voice. And the album altogether, the accompanying bass, such class, such magnitude. Iconic. So raspy yet so soft, so dark yet so light. I will really keep this album for when I want to come off as distinguished. But for that I would also need a certain crowd. Top honourable mentions: the eponymous song, Traveling Light, It Seemed the Better way, Treaty.
I never really got into Leonard Cohen so his dark death album does t do much for me. It’s a dark and haunting exploration of life, religion, death and having humor about it. It’s fine, but not really anything I’ll circle back to.
bit boring
I understand the circumstances surrounding this album's recording and release, but this is just such a bore,
I've never been a fan of Leonard Cohen unfortunately. This was hard to listen to, only because I thought it was more spoken word than anything.
I’m glad I listened to this album. I don’t think it’s something I would’ve picked up on my own. There’s a lot of interesting texture and it made for a very interesting listen.
Dark, honest, beautiful. Perfect as what it is.
This has no business being this good.
This is a Light 9,It's pretty great and so far Cohen's Best
Wow, still an incredible songwriting talent. A nearly 50 years between his first album on this list and his last and both are incredible. Not sure how much I’m going to listen to this one again given how heavy it is. But I can’t give it less than four stars.
Almost so dark it’s hard to listen to in one sitting. When it finished I listened to Elliott Smith to cheer myself up. Deserving of being on the list for sure but I don’t know how many times I’ll choose to put this on.
Nice gravelly vocals
Too slow
One of my all-time favorites.
Poetry with music
A sad and moving final album
Recognizing the unappreciated goodness.
Seriöst det med pedofiliska jag hört i hela mitt liv
Probably his best album, because his darkest.
I don't know what Cohen's earlier albums are like, but this felt like bad spoken word.
A bit slow for me
A tricky album to review. When I listened to it I thought the production on the opening track as cheesy as hell, and whilst the vocal recording is exceptional the fact that it is effectively spoken word with very little passion or performance was a real negative, then I read that he's pretty much on his deathbed at this point and it puts it in a whole new light. It didn't really do anything musically for me, and the production and mix are incredibly clean polished, but I need things to have some kind of edge and bite and ultimately it just isn't for me
Meh
Sometimes I felt like I was listening to Dracula but kind of enjoyed it.
day by day does he sing or just talk rhythmically String Reprise/Treaty was my favorite- nevermind he started talkig again.
Although not a knockout 5/5 in my book - it didn't knock my socks off, as it were - this was a fantastic and pleasant listen. Exactly the type of "moody, atmospheric" that I can appreciate. Very cinematic, strongly charismatic. The eponymous first song perfectly sets the mood and the rest mostly follows through magnificently.
This one is kind of tough to rate if I'm being honest. On one hand, it is melancholic, thought provoking and quite dark at points. The instrumentation is great and Cohen has some great deep singing if you're into that kind of voice. That being said, I had this album on a Friday, listened to it then, and haven't thought about the album since I listened to it. It is now Monday and I'm struggling to come up with stuff to say about it simply because it doesn't have that staying power to me. Feels more like an album for people who are already Cohen fans rather than someone getting introduced for the first time, like me.
I was fully prepared to hate this, I was never a fan of Leonard Cohen. But the opening title track was very, very cool. Simple backing, almost spoken-word growly singing (shades of Tom Waits and Nick Cave), simple rhythm and rhymes but great words. Deep conviction and striking imagery. The rest of the tracks weren't as good (for me), but I found this a lot more accessible than his other work.
A remarkable leaving note from Leonard Cohen, with a haunting quality appropriate to a musician making his final statement. The title track gets it off to a brilliant start, and Treaty is a beautiful follow up showcasing Cohen’s poetic lyrics. It’s held back from a 5 by the sound not really evolving beyond that for the rest of the album, but still an arrestingly good set of songs.
Another great album released in 2016 by a music legend just before their death. The mesmerising title track sets the dark tone, and remains the best track. But the whole album is a compelling exploration of death and faith. ‘Treaty’ and ‘Travelling Light’ are my other two favourites.
A fantastic final offering from a great songwriter, definitely one of his strongest albums, with tracks reflecting on his impending mortality, disillusionment with religion, letting go, love and breaking up, and finding your path in life. Its only real flaw is that the brooding, haunting title track is so good, nothing else quite lives up to it. ‘Treaty’, ‘On the Level’, ‘If I Didn’t Have Your Love’ and ‘Steer Your Way’ come the closest, though every song here is really strong, with exquisite arrangements and production. A brilliant album, one that I could easily see as a future 5 stars.
This was incredibly mid.
Love this!!
This is really good. REALLY good. Great even. But i think Leonard is also a genius for knowing how long to make an album. I don’t know if i’d be up for doing this for double the length. #2harrowed
That was depressing. I'm also not fond of his singing voice.
Its sad, but its good
The best part of this album is where the cover looks like it's a highway billboard and his arm is that extra-deluxe extra piece outside of the normal rectangle.
4th Cohen album I've had on this list and I continue to question why any of them are here. Maybe he's a good poet. Frankly I don't give a shit about that. This is a list about music and this music is awful, generic drivel. Add his trademark low-talking vocals over the top and it becomes completely intolerable.
Det kan vist ikke blive meget mørkere. Er meget vild med den minimalistiske produktion, der virkelig giver plads til at lyrikken kan skinne. Er også svært glad for koret på You Want It Darker og It Seemed the Better Way. Jeg er desværre ikke en kæmpe fan af Leonard Cohens spoken word-stil og synes at albummet kan komme til at virke meget ensformigt og langsomt, hvilket får albummet til at føles betydeligt længere end det er. Der er dog ikke en finger at sætte på den smukke lyrik. Standouts: You Want It Darker, On the Level, If I Didn't Have Your Love
Maximum gravel vocals with a vibe that you are riding in a the back of a hearse to the other side. My first time really listening to Leonard and his voice feels so distinctive already. It seems like he suffered to put this out and it feels like you can hear it.
You definitely have to be in a mood to listen to this. It's not fun, it's not light, it's a heavy thing that smothers you in a blanket of misery and doesn't let you go. The way this album interacts with the world outside of it is almost as interesting as the album himself. Even I, who knew nothing about Cohen could easily grasp what this was about. We're in the last days before death. And there is no looking back, there's no joy about a life well lived, first of all there is this crushing weight and then there's the complicated relationship to god. It's beautiful.
This is not for me.
Considering the man and the meaning behind this album, I'm glad I listened to this. Will I listen to it again? Probably not..
Cohen's voice on this album is like a big warm blanket that wraps around you and feels safe and cosy. I kinda love this. I have a strange relationship with Cohen, sometimes he's too much, but this album is just right. It's familiar, interesting, reassuringly Cohenesque.
I grew up listening to Leonard Cohen thanks to my mum, who would always pick his albums as background music to make ironing more pleasurable. For this, his voice sits close to my heart. I'll give this album a 4 because I like his previous work better.
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker (2016) Not this dark Mr Cohen! Day 141 was intense. But nah blud this made me appreciate life, shit can turn your beautiful day with a snap of a finger while keeping itself beautiful! I mean the vocals were deep and you can hear he troubled life through and the lyrics. never heard anything darker than this while being the most beautiful sound. I can't go on to describe song by song because what I took is this LP tackles and ponders one question! DID YOU LIVE?, ARE YOU READY TO SEE WHAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM! God it was answered! I liked on the level played it multiple times it was deep imo both and treaty, Leaving the table I don't need a lover, no, the wretched beast is tame... damn it's deep Cohen, Steer your way beautiful performance and the closer just wow but on the level, play it at my funeral. I'll use the LP as my eulogy.
Everything Leonard Cohen did was iconic and this album is no exception. It’s haunting and hypnotic, and makes it even more wild how close this was released to his death. It’s the most beautifully poetic final album for such a one of a kind talent. Top Songs: You Want It Darker, Treaty, Leaving the Table, It Seemed the Better Way
😟
That's what I call a masterpiece. His deep voice dancing with the quietness and steadiness of death, holding hands like two old friends.
This is another album that suddenly clicked for me 2/3s of the way through. Cohen's voice may be extremely limited by this point in his life, but he still makes his available vocal register work with an expertise that only comes with years in the industry. To imagine him, sick and dying in his home, having dragged all of his equipment in to accommodate his failing body, as he belts out to God about his life and legacy is brutal and emotionally taxing in a way I haven't felt from an album in a long time. I feel as though a few of these tracks could probably have been left off and contribute very little, but when this album hits it hits like a truck, and I have nothing but respect for it because of that.
eh. just not my thing
Kind of all blended together to me
Great album, especially the title track.
I appreciate the artistry and emotion but it just isn't for me.
Listens: 3 Standout tracks: You Want It Darker, Treaty, Traveling Light I think this is my third Leonard Cohen album. While listening, I couldn't help but think he sounds like that theme song from S02 of True Detective "Nevermind"... Lo and behold, that is his song; ha! This is a very personal album (for him). Released 17 days before he passed away. It's clear he put a lot of effort into the album. Its very well put together. His husky voice, the backing vocals, the cadence in his delivery of the lyrics, the music. All great.
Legend.
Final album generated during my time living in Europe. Fitting somewhat since this is Leonard Cohen's last album before he died. It is quite emotional and produced fine enough for an aging artist in the 2010s. Still, not as powerful as Blackstar but still a nice quick listen.
Not really my thing, but damn is he ever talented. Not something id listen to on my own time without this challenge but its good.
God I do love it darker 5/5
Not for me but 5 stars because all artists deserve our support
It Seemed The Better Way
I found it very pretty, but a little same-y. But my cat genuinely loves Leonard Cohen.
Was really good. not exactly my vibe but i enjoyed listening to it the whole way through
Darker and deeper, what a unique voice. Quite enjoyed this although with that voice a whole album does tend to blur into one a little as there’s not much, shall we say, “range”.
This one was better than the Leonard cohen lp I got one
On the first song. I'll be honest. I kind of hate the whispery rasp in this song. Ok as it went on it got better, but was still a little off putting. I think I would like it more after more listens but as of now I am in the middle.
A death album in line with The Wind (Warren Zevon) and Blackstar (David Bowie)...the title track is outstanding.
No es mi estilo. La primera canción te atrapa un poco más
This is decent. He uses all his history to eek out another drop. Not really my thing, but good to see people keep going with their passion. The earlier albums obviously sit at the peak of the mountain.
I hadn’t listened to this one before, but it’s exactly what I thought Leonard Cohen’s death would sound like.
another pretty good album that I'lll never listen to again
This is a gorgeous album, his vocal style just isn't my thing.
Strangely intrigued, but not something I's listen to intentionally. I'm totally curious to experience a live performance, just to people watch, and to know if his other albums are similar.
Nope
Really dug this, more than other Cohen I've heard
Oh goddammit more Leonard Cohen. I begged for no more and the universe did not listen. Alright, so we've jumped forward to right before Cohen's death, and we now have raspy old man Cohen talking at us. The music is more produced, and I actually like it better than the older stuff, which is not saying a lot because I have no love for Cohen's music or style. Standout tracks for me were "You Want It Darker" "On The Level" and "Traveling Light" I liked the subject matter of the album, it's grim and personal; the thoughts and words of a dying man reckoning with his fate. But Leonard Cohen is still just so boring to me. Every song is mostly the same. It's a bit better than some others of his, but not by much. It's fine to experience once, but I don't see myself ever revisiting this. The music itself is more fleshed out and interesting, but it's still 2 stars for me.
A fitting swansong for the legendary poet and songwriter.
It's... fine. Not really my cup of tea, and it felt like it was dragging on for too long. But it wasn't a horrible listen all in all.
Not for me but I appreciate the talent
Really tricky album to rate, it's moving but it's ultimately not very enjoyable to listen to, more of a meditation if anything. I'm going the perfect midpoint which is 5/10 which is a 2 here
great! five stars
I could do without the synth. It feels off on his stuff. Decent songs though.
This f’n guy again… I will say this is better than the other albums he’s had on this list, but still boring as hell. I don’t care for his voice or singing style, but the music itself isn’t terrible. 2/5
Super moody
Leaving The Table kinda says it all.
In the shelves with the Ls
When William Shatner sounds self-important, I think it might be his schtick, might. With Leonard Cohen, I’m pretty sure his self-importance is the real deal.
Given the history of this album, I can understand its ‘darkness’. But unfortunately, it doesn’t really appeal to me. Still, 3 stars...
Never listened. Expectations: High - Verdict: Great - I have loved the title track since it came out but never listened to the full album. The lyrics are as stunning as you would expect from Cohen. The smoky feel of this album with the impossibly deep and weary voice is just amazing. Something about it reminds me of Dylan's Time Out Of Mind. Overall a beautiful epitaph for one of the great artists. Surpassed my already high expectations.
It's good, it's very good. Its the production that stands out
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
I get that people love his poetry. It's not bad. But he really shouldn't be a singer.
oh yes. i’ve had the highest depressive spike in recent memory. i’m sure this is going to be great for me. putting leaving the table and if i didn’t have your love right next to each other is criminal. actually fucked up 😢😢 no idea what i’m gonna rate this. definitely high. might change it later but i think today it’s a 5
I have very strong negative views about LC, he's in a class of his own.
The opening track did almost put me off, I went into this with no expectation and I actually began to really enjoy it, defo need to have another listen to pick out the tracks that stood out the most but a pleasant surprise!
I really liked it. He should have an audio book!
This floored me. Leonard Cohen was the grandfather of every artist I’ve ever loved
Probably more suited to a 2am listen with a whisky
1.8/5 First time I've heard Leonard Cohen and I was surprised at his style. It's not something I'm usually into but it was an interesting listen. I'm sure if I gave this a few more spins I could appreciate it more but is was just ok.
This guys the biggest suck to ever suck.
Reminds me of Disco Elysium of all things Very interesting but for sure an acquired taste.
3 tracks in
it's not for me!
It's quite the vibe. I don't think I was ready for something this heavy on my Friday morning. Something I'll likely come back to in a time of grief or uncertainty and reevaluate.
no. guy whispering in your ear for 5 minutes.
not my style but good
I have no idea how to rate this. It wasn’t really music in the traditional sense.
..
It was a bit weak at first but I ended up really liking it. I am glad I listened to this, I've been wanting to listen to some Leonard Cohen for awhile. Although considering his buddist and jewish ties I am kinda surprised at all the allusions to chirstianity, especially since he never converted to christianity as far as I'm aware.
Cold. Inspiring.
Leonard Cohen doing a Louis Armstrong impression - sweet. Joking aside, the voice is super distracting from otherwise beautiful songs. Someone get this chap a lozenge
I was really drawn into this, but no, no darker, please.
Man skulle kunna hoppas att när man blir äldre och visare slutar man ta sig själv på så jävla blodigt allvar, inte är så uppfylld av sitt eget geni och tar sig ur sitt eget arsle åtminstone lite grann. Men inte Cohen inte. Stanna i kloster din pretentiösa fan!
Cohen levererar precis som Bowie sin svanesång från dödsbädden och släpper den i samband med sista andetaget. Det ger förstås en extra dimension till textrader som ”I’m leaving the table, I’m out of the game”. Han har aldrig varit något stor sångare sett till register, men här blir det knappt någon sång alls, utan snarare reciterade poemer till musik. Till skillnad från Bowie slutar Cohen inte på helt på topp. Ett bra och värdigt slut, men inte högsta Cohen-nivå.
Cohen är gammal och skrovlig. Lite väl skrovlig för min smak. Cohens röst (tillsammans med nått som ska likna native amarican kör, förbud på den) är nog det som drar ned omdömet mest på ett annars ganska bra album. Cohen gör inte som Bowie och är nyskapande in döden (han har väl aldrig varit just nyskapande). Men det han gör, gör han bra. Fin melodier och fina små berättelser från en man som snart vet att hans tid är kommen. Gillar speciellt On the level, stråkarna i Steer your way och It seemed the better way där de religiösa grubblerierna i livets slutskede får stå i centrum. Det räcker precis till en fyra även om Cohens sånginsats hör hemma på lägre våningar.
Jag Cohens tre sista album är bra. Men jag håller Old ideas och popular problems något högre. Det känns som han sagt vad han behövde säga med de två albumen och att you want it darker blev någon form av upprepning av föregångarna.
Christ. I love ego death on a Thursday morning. That it's only thirty-six minutes is insane.
He was 82 when he record this. So bent and broken he had to sit in a custom chair while recording to relieve the pain in his spine. He died shortly after this and yet he’s still sexier than you and will still steal your girl.
Todas son muy habladas. La música es buena pero me da mucha flojera que su voz sea todo lo mismo
I fear I have to give this 5 stars. Haunting. Everything that a songwriter should be.
This was so dark and so fucking cool. I had his other album a couple of weeks ago and wasn’t all that impressed. This is the reason I started 1001 albums. Getting ready to order the white version on vinyl I liked this so much.
Not bad at all
Later Leonard.
Are you kidding me with this lol I guess the music is pleasant enough (I guess) but I just can't take this guy's "vocals" seriously. The whole talk-singing thing is probably never going to work for me, but I guess some people appreciate it. NOT for me at all.
Bleak warmth.
If you want to hear an old man rambling while boring ass music plays, boy to I have the perfect album for you.
Track one sounded like it was on the opening credits of some bad ass movie I watched a while ago....that was pretty much the only good thing about this collection of 'songs'.
Cohen doing his best Tom Waits impression.
I'm so fucking scared
crusty old man voice rambling about his grandchildren not visiting him backed by ossanslop tunes
It is difficult to separate Leonard Cohen’s album "You Want It Darker" from his death, for the artist passed away almost as soon as it was released – an analogy to David Bowie’s "Blackstar". As with “Blackstar”, the album is a final, significant statement by a great artist at the end of his career (I shall ignore the posthumously released Cohen album “Thanks for the Dance” for now, as it was only completed after Cohen’s death). The album powerfully explores the themes of death, closure, turning to God, (final) love, and looking back. It contains some of Cohen’s finest songs from the last 40 years: the title track (featuring the wonderful Jewish chants of a cantor and choir), “Treaty” and “Travelling Light”. Cohen’s voice sounds like a soft hum, the music is often sparse, and the compositions frequently follow a plain blues pattern. Musically, as is so often the case with Cohen, it remains relatively simple. The album impresses with its lyrics and Cohen’s haunting delivery. A worthy last statement.
2 stars I don’t know. Low droning voice over and over. It wasn’t bad but I wasn’t interested.
This was amazing. Like the most beautiful parts of Tom waits songs, both pretty and harsh at the same time. Really moving lyrics, very easy to like songs with really sparse but warm instrumentation. This will be something I listen to again for a long time
meh. not for me
At its best, this album’s spare instrumentation and cohen’s gravelly voice are haunting, especially in the context of the album coming out at the end of his life. Still, though, I found a lot of the tracks to be repetitive, especially lyrically. There’s something to be said for hitting the theme consistently, but the album seemed to echo itself, rather than enhancing those themes.
I get the appeal of Leonard Cohen, but this album didn’t really do anything for me. Just kind of became background noise. Good background noise, but I’m not compelled to come back.
An incredibly uneventful album, with a surprisingly fitting title, as it really sounds "dark". Whilst the first few tracks feature interesting guitar playing, the later half seems to lack any guitar playing completely and focuses on a more orchestral sound. The vocals are what makes this album soud "dark" and feel like the last breath of a dying person (no wonder). Still, it could have been more musically complex.
I’ll default to four stars. It will take another few listens to establish this one.
I guess it isn't awful, but Cohen just isn't my taste, even his best stuff. This album is not his best stuff.
I'm definitely not the demographic for this, it was okay though I could be too young to get it... maybe when in the future I'll have an appreciation for it but its just so not my thing favourites : String Reprise / Treaty
magnificently dark and poetic
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 One of those weird averaging scores representative of neither extreme. Conceptually, poetically, lyrically damn near a 5—incredibly profound and moving stuff. This, if anything, is what will bring me back to You Want It Darker. Musically, instrumentally, it amounts to a stale 3, perhaps even a 2 sans vocals—there's nothing wrong with sparseness, per se, and Cohen's incredible, gruff voice and piano is often enough to carry the emotions, but after five songs or so, it sort of overstayed its welcome. This makes me feel like a shallow zoomer, maybe even one who's ontologically evil, especially given how much a thematically similar album like Blackstar means to me, hypocritically. This is a lyrical treasure, but musically falls flat, and I'm guessing Cohen hits harder with those oriented more towards the former. Me, I'm a feeler—the sound that words can't contain means more to me. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing
4.5 (5) Haunting. Has anyone else in their 80’s recorded ever something this significant? (36:09, 9 tracks, 14th album, 2016), Folk / Singer-Songwriter. The ledger is closed. There is no better way to end a career—or a life—than this. Leonard Cohen didn’t just write an album; he finalized his estate, reconciled his debts with the Divine, and checked out on his own terms. You Want It Darker is not "folk"; it is the sound of a man looking at the abyss and deciding it’s time to stop fighting the gravity. Leonard dies three weeks after this album was released. So on first listen a “3”; 6 listens later a “4”, 6 more “5”. I’m not sure I’ve ever listened more times than this soundtrack (except albums I owned previously.) I hiked in 33 degree “feels like” (actual 50 degrees Fahrenheit for three+ hours – shirtless.) This album spoke to that. Controlled survival on the trail—cold, exposed, focused, and steady. Cohen, as a "low-frequency hum" a calm, stoic mind. The "Zen" of Mortality: he "owns" the end of his life. That isn't depressing; it is radical acceptance. When you are hiking shirtless at 33° (feels like) in Northeast Kane County IL, you are consciously choosing to embrace the "darkness" (the cold, the physical struggle) rather than running from it. The music isn't "dark"—it’s honest. Released October 21, 2016, just 17 days before Cohen’s death, the album is widely recognized as a funeral shroud draped in sound. At 82, Cohen was suffering from severe mobility issues—fractures in his spine and other complications—that essentially confined him to his home in Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles. He wasn't touring; he was narrowing his world to a single room. The thematic arc is singular: death, God, and the humor inherent in being human. It is not a lament; it is a final, cold-eyed assessment of a life lived in service to beauty and brokenness. The recording process was born of necessity and intimacy. Because Cohen could not travel to a studio, the studio came to him—or rather, the files did. His son, Adam Cohen, produced the record, and the living room became the booth. Using a modified medical chair, Cohen recorded vocals that sound less like singing and more like a confession whispered into a microphone at 3:00 AM. He sent the tracks digitally to collaborators. The minimal, haunting arrangements—including the presence of the Shaar Hashomayim Choir from his childhood synagogue—were added remotely. It is perhaps the most "digitally connected" recording of his career, despite being the work of a man completely isolated by his physical decay. To understand Leonard Cohen is to understand a man who spent his entire life trying to reconcile the sacred with the profane. He was not a rock star; he was a monk who happened to be seduced by the melody. Here is the ledger on a man who refused to be categorized. The Young Man: The Poet of Westmount Born in 1934 in the wealthy, English-speaking enclave of Westmount, Quebec, young Leonard was not the tortured soul you might imagine. He was a middle-class kid from a respectable Jewish family. His father died when Leonard was nine, an event that etched a permanent sense of transience into his psyche. He wasn't an aspiring "singer." He was a poet. Before he ever strummed a guitar on a stage, he was publishing books of poetry and a novel, Beautiful Losers (1966). In his twenties, he sought refuge on the Greek island of Hydra. This was the "young man": a restless intellectual, living in a sun-drenched exile, trying to convince himself that he could make a living solely through the pen. He was struggling—financially desperate, artistically singular—before he realized that poetry without a melody reached only a few people. He moved to New York in his thirties, a geriatric age to launch a music career in the sixties, and began the work of turning his poems into song. Who He Was: The "Thinking Man’s" Mystic Cohen was a man of radical contradictions. He was a devoutly trained Jew who spent years living as an ordained Zen monk at the Mt. Baldy Zen Center. He was a notorious womanizer who wrote with the tenderness of a devotional saint. He was essentially an archivist of human failure. While his peers in the 60s were writing about revolution, peace, and flower power, Cohen was writing about his own bedroom, his own depression, and his own moral compromises. He didn't offer a vision of a better world; he offered an honest assessment of the broken one we actually live in. He was "important" not because he was a technical virtuoso, but because of his linguistic economy. • Precision: He would spend years—sometimes decades—perfecting a single verse. He did not write "songs"; he wrote scripture. • Vulnerability: He popularized the idea that being miserable was not a pathology, but a requirement for true emotional depth. • The Voice: He didn't have a singer's range; he had a bass-baritone that sounded like it had been dragged through gravel and fine wine. It communicated authority. When Cohen spoke, you listened, because it sounded like he had checked his facts with the Devil himself. Why He Remains Essential Most songwriters are products of their time. They are tied to the fashion of their decade. Cohen is timeless because he bypassed the "fashion" entirely. • The Secular Hymn: He wrote songs like "Hallelujah" that bridge the gap between a broken love affair and religious transcendence. He understood that love is not a gentle thing; it is a war. • The Anti-Hero: He was the patron saint of the "Thinking Man." He gave permission to his listeners to be weak, to be horny, to be confused, and to be cynical, all while maintaining a rigid, almost terrifying level of dignity. • The Long Game: He proved that a career isn't a sprint. He was writing some of his best material in his 70s and 80s, long after the industry had stopped expecting anything from him. He was a man who looked at the mirror and didn't blink. That is a rare commodity in art, and that is why his records still occupy shelf space in the collections of serious people. Track 1: You Want It Darker The Lyrics: If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game If you are the healer, it means I'm broken and lame If thine is the glory then mine must be the shame You want it darker We kill the flame Magnified, sanctified, be thy holy name Vilified, crucified, in the human frame A million candles burning for the help that never came You want it darker Hineni, hineni I'm ready, my lord The Meaning: This is the final "Hineni"—the Hebrew for "Here I am," the response of Abraham to God’s call. Cohen is not pleading; he is surrendering. He acknowledges the absurdity of the deal: the "dealer" holds all the cards, and the "healer" only has work to do because the subject is broken. It is a bleak rejection of the romanticized afterlife. He’s tired of the candles, tired of the hope, and finally, he’s ready to step into the dark. The title track from Leonard Cohen’s final album, released just weeks before his death in 2016. The song is widely viewed as a confrontational dialogue with God, where Cohen grapples with human suffering, organized religion, and his own impending mortality. "You want it darker, we kill the flame": This central refrain suggests a bleak relationship between the divine and humanity. One common reading is that if God—as the creator of a world full of suffering—wants more "darkness," humanity is all too willing to "kill the flame" of life and hope through war and violence. "Hineni, hineni / I'm ready, my Lord": "Hineni" is Hebrew for "Here I am". In the Torah, this is Abraham’s response to God when asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. By using this phrase, Cohen signals a posture of total surrender and spiritual readiness as he faces his final days. "If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game": Cohen uses gambling metaphors to describe the power imbalance between God and man. If God "deals" a life of suffering and death, the only choice left for the human "player" is to eventually leave the game. "Magnified, sanctified, be thy holy name": These are English translations of the opening lines of the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead. Cohen juxtaposes this sacred praise with "Vilified, crucified in the human frame," highlighting the contrast between divine glory and the brutal reality of human existence. The song explores the "God Paradox"—how a supposedly loving deity can allow immense historical atrocities, such as the Holocaust (alluded to by "a million candles burning for the help that never came"). Acceptance of Death: Unlike the defiant tone of some of his earlier work, this song reflects a somber, authentic peace with the end. Critique of Religion: Some lines target how organized religion is often used to justify "murder and to maim Track 2: Treaty This is my favorite track on the album, I miss you ******* “I've seen your pills, I've seen your drinks I've seen your books, I've seen your sinks I've seen your wives, I've seen your lies I've seen your children, I've seen your eyes I'm only one, I'm only one I'm only one, I'm only one. I wish there was a treaty we could sign I wish there was a treaty, between your love and mine” The negotiation phase. Cohen is auditing the relationships he’s had—the "wives," the "lies," the "sinks." He’s looking for a ceasefire between the human ego and the divine. He realizes that he is fundamentally alone ("I'm only one"), and the treaty he seeks isn't a peace treaty for the world, but a release from the cycle of longing and resentment he’s maintained for eighty years. In Leonard Cohen's work—specifically the song "Treaty" from his final album—the term refers to a desired peace agreement or reconciliation between two mismatched "loves" or "wills". The song explores several layers of this "treaty": The primary metaphor frames a failing relationship as a war zone where both sides are exhausted. Cohen describes the lovers as "rival nations" with different laws of reality. A weary desire to end the fighting, regardless of who "wins" ("I do not care who takes this bloody hill"). He apologizes for the "ghost" he made his partner become, suggesting he never fully saw her as a real person. Given the album's spiritual focus, many interpret the treaty as an attempt to reconcile with God. Cohen seeks a "treaty" between his own will and the divine will, which often feels distant or incomprehensible. The lyrics reference the Jubilee (a year of debt forgiveness and freedom in ancient Judaism) and the Covenant between God and Israel. Ultimately, the song suggests this treaty is impossible to sign while alive; the "loves" are too different to ever fully meet. As Cohen was nearing the end of his life, "Treaty" is also seen as a quiet negotiation with his own mortality. The lines about the snake shedding its skin to "find the snake within" symbolize a brutal, skinless rebirth or the stripping away of the self as one approaches death. The song captures a sense of total fatigue, where the struggle for meaning is replaced by a simple wish for the "fighting" (the suffering of life) to finally stop. Goodbye *******, I wish there was more I could say. Track 3: On the Level- A sly, almost cheeky reflection on temptation. Cohen admits he wasn't always the saint people projected onto him. He didn't want to win the battles with his own desires; he just wanted to be "on the level"—to be honest about his corruption. It’s a classic Cohen pivot: admitting he was a cad while sounding like a priest. "On the Level" refers to a state of brutal honesty and spiritual surrender near the end of life. While the phrase usually means being fair or truthful, Cohen uses it to describe reaching a level plane where he can no longer be tempted or deceived. The song is about outliving the "fire" of youth and sexual desire. Cohen suggests that because he is old and facing death, he is finally "on the level"—no longer tilted or swayed by the intensity of passion. Key Lyric: "I’m old and I’m lookin' at you / And I’m on the level" He can finally look at a past lover or the world without the "fever" that used to cloud his judgment. Cohen plays with the idea that to be "on the level" with God or the universe, he had to give up his own will. He mentions "turning his back on the devil" and "turning his back on the angel," suggesting he is moving beyond the dualities of good and evil into a state of pure, flat reality. Cohen admits he "lived his life in moments" but now must face the "whole thing" as he prepares for what comes next. The "Level" is a significant symbol in Freemasonry, representing equality and the idea that we are all traveling on the "level of time" toward the same end. For Cohen, it represents: Equality in Death: No matter how famous or "low" he was, everyone ends up on the same level ground. Spiritual Maturity: He is no longer "falling" or "climbing"; he has arrived at a place of stillness. Like much of the You Want It Darker album, this song feels like a final report to a higher power. Being "on the level" means he is presenting his life exactly as it was—no excuses, no metaphors, just the plain truth before the end. Track 4: Leaving the Table The Meaning: The gambling metaphor is exhausted. He’s not waiting for a better hand anymore. He acknowledges he’s "not needing" the things that once fueled his life: the women, the wine, the applause. He’s detached. He’s "leaving the table" not because he won, but because the game is finished. Perhaps the most direct song on the album about voluntary withdrawal from life. While other songs wrestle with God or old flames, this one is a weary, graceful admission that he is finished with the "game" of existence. The "table" is a metaphor for the world’s offerings—romance, fame, pleasure, and struggle. To "leave the table" means he no longer has an appetite for these things. "I don't need a lover, no, no, the wretched beast is tame": He is declaring that the physical and emotional cravings (the "beast") that drove his life and poetry for decades have finally died down. "I'm leaving the table, I'm out of the game": He is no longer competing for relevance or affection. He is checking out of the human "casino." The song captures the specific exhaustion of a man who knows his body is failing. "I’m slowing down the pace": This is a literal reference to his declining health. He is no longer rushing toward anything; he is settling into the stillness of his final days. "I don't need a witness": Unlike his earlier years where he bared his soul for an audience, he now seeks a private, quiet exit. He doesn't need the world to validate his departure. There is a unique civility to the song. Leaving a table is a social gesture; it’s what you do at the end of a meal when you are full. Cohen isn't raging against the dying of the light; he is simply stating that he has had enough. Just as in the title track ("If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game"), he acknowledges that life is a gamble he is no longer interested in playing. While "On the Level" is about being honest about his state, "Leaving the Table" is about the action of departing. He has reached the level ground, and now he is simply walking away from the party. Track 5: If I Didn’t Have Your Love The Meaning: This track could be read as a love song to a woman, or to God, or to the very concept of love itself. It’s the "What if?" track. If he hadn't had the capacity to feel—to be hurt, to be wrecked—would the world have been "too thin" to endure? He’s affirming that his suffering was the price of admission for living. A meditation on the foundational power of love as the force that sustains reality itself. The central message is that without love, the world doesn't just become sad—it becomes unreal. Cohen suggests that love is the "proof" or condition that allows the universe to exist in a meaningful way. Cosmic Desolation: Cohen uses apocalyptic imagery—a sun without light, stars "unpinned" from the sky, and seas turned to sand—to describe the state of a life without his beloved. These metaphors reflect an internal "psychological end-time" where the speaker’s senses would effectively shut down.A "Celestial" Devotion: The song's arrangement, featuring an organ and the Montreal Synagogue Choir, blurs the lines between romantic and religious devotion. The lyrics "lift the veil and see your face" evoke a sense of revelation, implying the beloved provides access to a hidden, divine dimension of life. Gratitude Amidst Mortality: Recorded while Cohen was in significant physical pain near the end of his life, the song is viewed as a statement of limitless gratitude toward those closest to him, likely his family and lifelong friends. "Stars... all unpinned" A universe emptied of its basic laws and structure. "Nothing left that you could feel" A state of emotional anesthesia or total numbness. "No one that you hurt could ever heal" A world without the possibility of mercy, repair, or forgiveness. The song ultimately suggests that reality is relational; it is something confirmed and made "real" through the presence and witness of another person’s love. Track 6: Traveling Light The Meaning: He’s discarding the baggage. This is the moment of transition. He’s not the man he was in the 60s or 70s. He acknowledges his "nightmare" is ending. He’s leaving the "old ways" behind. It’s a rhythmic, almost defiant acceptance of becoming a ghost. Ir serves as a companion to "If I Didn’t Have Your Love." While the previous song explores the presence of love, this track is about the final release of all earthly burdens and attachments as one nears the end of life. The repeated use of "au revoir" indicates a practiced, almost ritualistic goodbye. Cohen is checking out of the "bar" of life, acknowledging that he is "running late". The song marks the end of his public and personal personas—the "one mean guitar" he used to play is now a thing of the past. He is shedding the identity built around "the me and you," moving toward a purely solitary state. The "Fallen Star": This metaphor refers to a beloved or a muse (often thought to be Marianne Ihlen) who was once a guiding light but has now "fallen," signaling that the time for romantic or physical attachment has passed. For Cohen, traveling light means letting go of "desires, passion, and anger". It is a state of peace found by unpinning oneself from the world's emotional and physical demands. The track features a Greek bouzouki, a nod to the island of Hydra where Cohen lived with Marianne in the 1960s. This musical choice brings his life full circle, connecting his final "traveling" to the place where his journey as a world-renowned poet and singer truly began. Once more, I’m traveling light *******. The music video for "Traveling Light," released posthumously in February 2017, was directed by Sammy Slabbinck with the "excellent guidance" of Cohen's son, Adam Cohen. It serves as a memorial retrospective, blending archival footage with previously unreleased personal moments. The video opens with a poignant scene of Cohen sitting on his Los Angeles balcony, smoking a cigarette. He delivers a line that defines the video's tone of "sly, funny" acceptance: "I feel a lot stronger, but I'm actually a lot weaker". The visual is a "meticulous montage" that splices together footage from various eras—ranging from his stoic performances in the 1990s to his "exalted" world tours from 2008–2015. This serves to collapse time, showing the "iconic Cohen" at different stages of his spiritual and artistic journey. The balcony footage used in the opening is the same shot featured on the album cover of You Want It Darker. While the album cover was framed in black, the video shows the original version: sun-drenched, with cars and plants in the background, grounding the "final farewell" in a very human, everyday reality. Director Sammy Slabbinck, known for his work as a collage artist, used overlapping imagery to align with the "melancholy poetry" of the track. This technique visually mirrors the song's theme of "unburdening" and "shedding layers". The video does not just signal an ending; it portrays a conscious choice of acceptance. By mixing recent footage of an aged Cohen with archival shots of his younger self, the video illustrates his "peace reach[ed] first of all with himself" as he prepares for a "perpetually unknown" road. Track 7: It Seemed the Better Way A retrospective on ideology and pathfinding. "It sounded like the truth, but it's not the truth today." He’s looking at the politics, the religion, the moral frameworks he once navigated. They were all just provisional truths. He’s "lifting his glass of blood," accepting that all his choices were just "better ways" to get through the night, not absolute answers. A somber reflection on the fading of spiritual certainty and the obsolescence of once-comforting religious teachings. The central refrain—"Sounded like the truth / Seemed the better way / But it's not the truth today"—suggests that certain moral or religious principles, while persuasive in the past, no longer hold up against the harsh "rigors of real life" or the speaker's own late-life experiences. Cohen explicitly references the Christian ideal of non-resistance with the line, "Now it’s much too late to turn the other cheek". Analysts suggest this indicates a shift from youthful idealism to a hardened reality where mercy feels like an unavailable luxury or even a form of complicity. The lyrics describe a speaker who was moved emotionally—first by talk of "love" and then "death"—before being bound morally. Cohen wonders if he was truly following a divine truth or simply moved by the "rhetoric" and "plausibility" of a convincing sermon. By the final stanza, the speaker adopts a position of silent submission: "I better hold my tongue / I better take my place". This implies a loss of faith that nonetheless ends in ritual—the "glass of blood" and "saying the grace"—serving as a ceremonial closure to a spiritual journey. Like the title track, this song features the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue Choir. Their presence provides a haunting, institutional weight to Cohen's personal doubts, contrasting his individual disillusionment with the eternal sound of communal prayer. Some interpretations link the song to Cohen's relationship with his Zen master, Roshi, suggesting the "him" in the lyrics might refer to a specific spiritual teacher whose guidance eventually felt insufficient or compromised. The track is often viewed as one of Cohen's most bleak and honest assessments of faith, portraying a world where spiritual "comforts of the past" are no longer accessible. Track 8: Steer Your Way A command to the listener. If you’re going to be here, in this world, this is how you do it. "Steer your way through the pain that is sure to come." It’s an instruction manual for the bereaved. He knows he’s going, but he’s leaving the map behind for those of us still stuck in the wreckage. A "survival ethic" for navigating a world where sacred truths have crumbled and been replaced by consumerism and pain. It serves as an instruction to live by constant "steering" rather than settling for easy, pre-packaged beliefs. Cohen urges the listener to "steer your way" through the "ruins of the Altar and the Mall," placing traditional spirituality and modern materialism side-by-side as damaged structures that no longer offer true guidance. The song demands a painful shedding of self-comforting narratives. Cohen explicitly mentions steering past "Fundamental Goodness" and the "Wisdom of the Way," suggesting these ideals may be naive or "stale" in the face of life's harsh realities. Cohen identifies pain as something "far more real than you," an ultimate force that "smashed the cosmic model". He admits that this level of suffering makes traditional theology almost irrelevant, whether "there be a God or not". The lyric "As he died to make men holy, let us die to make things cheap" is a biting subversion of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". It critiques a culture that has traded the sacred concept of sacrifice for the pursuit of cheap labor and consumer goods. The repetition of "Year by year, month by month, day by day, thought by thought" frames integrity not as a single grand act, but as a constant, granular process of moral correction. Many see it as Cohen's "final mic drop" regarding the failure of organized religion and human nature. The mention of the "Mea Culpa which you probably forgot" serves as a reminder that we are all responsible for the state of the world, even if we choose to ignore our complicity. The final stanza's reference to "the one who was never equal to the task" and "knows he will be shot" is often interpreted as Cohen's humble acceptance of his own inadequacy and mortality, choosing to stand with those who are judged rather than those who judge. Track 9: String Reprise / Treaty There are no lyrics here—just the music, a sweeping, cinematic instrumental that reprises the melody of the second track. It’s the closing credits. The argument is over. The ink is dry on the treaty. The silence at the end is the only appropriate response. All lyrics are written by Leonard Cohen. 1. "You Want It Darker" 4:44 2. "Treaty" 4:02 3. "On the Level" 3:27 4. "Leaving the Table" 3:47 5. "If I Didn't Have Your Love" 3:35 6. "Traveling Light" 4:22 7. "It Seemed the Better Way" 4:21 8. "Steer Your Way" 4:23 9. "String Reprise / Treaty" 3:26 Total length: 36:09
Pretty good but it's just too nice outside for this to have the impact it deserves.
Gorgeous and haunting words of one facing impending death. “You Want It Darker” stuns me every time I hear it. Other songs, particularly “Traveling Light” with its Jewish music influence and minor keys, also impress with the beautiful music and aching words on the cusp of death. It is ultimately a bit too spare to be a 5 for me, but it’s a high 4. Quite remarkable for a final achievement.
Old man asmr
I have nothing to write about this album that nobody hasn't already written before on this site. I admit, I cried listening to this. Cohen was in pain, on his deathbed, trying to make sense of his life, his beliefs, and what would happen after he was fully enveloped by darkness. The Jewish spiritual arrangements are beautiful, and his voice, weathered by his condition and the test of time, is impressive in its starkness and rawness. Anything that makes me cry gets a perfect score, because it takes a lot. I enjoy a lot of his albums, but this is monumental. 5 stars.
The cadence in the voice, the lyrics, sounds gloomy, the choruses, the riffs, the way in which the songs are composed. It was a very pleasant surprise, first I found in this album a sample that James Blake used in his last album.
Ok.. THIS is much better Cohen than our first round with him in this list.
def check out more
just a fantastically moving record, and as frank and naked a final statement as anyone could aspire to. Cohen has always been renowned as a great lover of both God and women, and it's that quality, as ever, that makes this such a rich experience, the making personal his relationship with God and the rich, textured doubt/devotion towards a lover. the title track gets a lot of buzz, but to me, it's Treaty that's the highlight here - a song of great longing for peace, reconciliation, simplicity. to proclaim, after so many songs of struggle, lapsing faith, love gone sour, "I do not care who takes this bloody hill" - astounding. the other songs here reckon with loss and God and death with similar warmth and gravitas, but it's that one that leaves me tear up as i type out a review. but the whole thing is great, much like my newly-beloved Time Out Of Mind in its confidence and its vulnerability, and a wonderful record
Doesn't work for me
I like the sound of his voice and the music is beautiful, I just wish he would sing more than he spoke. It's an interesting blend.
The opening (title) track really floored me, I didn't know this was so late in his life and his voice just works so well with the music and the poetry. The rest of the album was a good listen too. When the algorithm gave me Famous Blue Raincoat straight after, the difference in his voice was quite something.
Гарний альбом, душевний. Можливо, це його контекст накладається, але яка різниця, власне.
Цей альбом я дуже люблю і він мені сподобався одразу як вийшов. Взагалі маю сентимент до музики, яку роблять отакі вже мудрі люди на фіналі свого життя, щось в цьому є світле, не зважаючи на звісно загально сумний настрій. Один з улюблених альбомів Коена загалом.
3.78
Interesting - crazy narration like singing
6/10
so fucking good
No one but Cohen could make death so appealing.
Wow. The title track. Epic. The rest of the album, totally fine with some tasty moments. Good stuff.
This was the most recent album we've heard so far and an interesting case study on how an artist's style can develop over the course of several decades. I wonder if he smoked too many cigarettes? XD There is some decent music here, but this album won't be for anyone who can't get into his "singing." Similar to the last album we heard from him, he still displays skillful lyricism and chooses to employ sparse instrumental accompaniment. I didn't mind the minimalism and I actually liked a lot of the instrumentation and supporting vocals, especially on the two or three gospel inspired tracks. There is a soothing quality to his voice, but it's mostly hard to take seriously. It's a little sad and pitiful, but also slightly heartwarming to hear an elderly man croon about his loss of love and luster as he enters the dusk of his life
Kind of getting tired of all these artist repeats. On this one, I don't think I can get past his voice (as an obstacle to me potentially enjoying it). And, since this album is more about the words, and I'm more about the music (and tend not to like music where I don't like the singer), well, I don't think I can go higher than 2. Somehow, a 1 would feel wrong, as I think there's some artistry here, but, since I don't appreciate (enjoy) it very much, 2 it is. I'm more annoyed, though, by there being 2 Leonard Cohen albums on this list, than by this album in particular (not that this affected my rating of this album). I know there are people who LOVE Leonard Cohen. I'm just not one of them. I liked the string quartet, on the last one, though.
Maybe I'm cynical, but I don't think the context of an album alone can make it great. I like the line: "As he died to make men holy, let us die to make things cheap" IF it's a criticism of capitalism
I didn't know I wanted it, but I need it darker.
worth a listen
listened to again that voice is incredible
beautiful butsome of the songs don't have a whole lot of variety.
Runonlausuntaa laulun muodossa. Puhetta melodialla. Synkkä, melankolinen. Taiteellinen. Käsittelee jotain elämää suurempaa - - kuolemaa. Viimeinen kappale kaikista kaunein.
What a beautiful album. Other than his first album, I never listened to Cohen much. This is a ballsy statement by Cohen. It's just amazing how he waxes so honestly and eloquently about his impending demise. Expecting and accepting with such grace and courage. What a guy!
Dark and weirdly sexy.
Similar in legendary status to Cash's last album, but a very different project. The dark themes, the heavy sound, the beautiful orchestration, and the crazy vocals make this such an enthralling project. Even by the end, I am always left wanting more.
This is an album to contemplate your mortality to. I'm not sure how often that's something I want to do. But when it is what I want to do, I know which album I'm turning to in the future.
wow, that was a pretty deep album. nothing really stood out to me but thats just cause this isnt my type of music. as a one off this was a really beautiful album and the fact that it was released 17 days before cohen's passing makes it even more moving
As he aged, his voice grew impossibly deep, resonant. At times it cracked a little, but it always commanded attention. Some say he never died, he just went subsonic and now sings to the whales in the atlantic. A fair album with nice arrangements, although the vocal melodies are generic. The lyrics as always are lofty and mysterious. He speak/sings about passion like a man in his 20s.
I love Leonard Cohen, and while I don't currently own this album I think I'm going to have to get it and listen to it every time I listen to "I See A Darkness" by Bonnie Prince Billy.
It's depressing singer songwriter
Always nice to get something a bit different. Obviously a different sound to his earlier works but good nonetheless.
Beautifully written as always.
Top Songs: Treaty
Que voz!!
iets te folk voor mijn smaak soms, maar er staan echt een paar van zn beste nummers op (vooral het titelnummer & Leaving The Table). zn vocals zijn hier echt op hun best. ik ben & blijf van meneer Cohen
Magical, almost religious - 4/5
I like Leonard Cohen sometimes. This one is not my favorite.
Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: 🚬😎🔳 Production:😌👂🧈 Music: 👴🕊️⚰️ Rating: 🖤🖤(🖤)/5
Leonard's last album. Although I listened to it extensively when it came out, I never bought it. Worthy finale to an incredible opus.
Bad. Terrible. No good.
Better
There’s something enchanting about Cohen’s late career growl, and whilst the synth-heavy albums of the 80s and 90s are easy to date, the sparse backing here is timeless. The opener threatens a menacing half hour, but the following tracks retain a surprising lightness, even if Cohen was by this point contemplating his final days on Earth.
You Want It Darker - 4/5 Treaty - 3.5/5 On the Level - 3.5/5 Leaving the Table - 3.5/5 If I Didn't Have Your Love - 3/5 Traveling Light - 3.5/5 It Seemed the Better Way - 3.5/5 Steer Your Way - 3.5/5 String Reprise/Treaty - 4/5 The sound of a man staring death in the face ready to take him away sooner or later. I don't see myself coming back to this anytime soon but it was an interesting interpretation of someone contemplating their final days. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: You Want It Darker, String Reprise/Treaty
Better than Coldplay
I like this Leonard Cohen album way more than the last one I got of his! I'm not sure what it is that I enjoy about this album that I didn't of his last, but this one hit for me. High 4/5 for this one!
Boring
Stunning
#905. Were the people around this guy just too scared to tell him the music he was making was boring as shit? I think this is the third one I've heard so far, and every time I just can't wait for it to be over. 2/5: yawn
Lowkey spooky. Also very touching, I really liked On the Level
Just before I hit play on this album, I was brainstorming ideas for a poem about youth, and being young. While I have technicslly heard this album before, I remembered next to nothing about it, and having now been more exposed to Leonard Cohen through Songs From A Room, I was eagerly anticipating the chance to get a better impression of this album. I immediately clicked with it so much more than last time, especially Cohen's deep and bassy voice; it sounds like smoke, as if he's sometimes being possessed by a darker force, which highlights the moments where his proper singing voice shines through. The instrumentation is an even darker take on Cohen's usual soundscape, bolstered by new grand flourishes like the backing choir which supports him throughout the album. Many of these songs were published over a decade prior tonthis album as poems, but they are given new meaning when Cohen performs them this late in his life. With Cohen passing on mere weeks after this album released, it's near-impossible to hear these songs without the reality around them bleeding through, making these reflections on mortality and life even more poignant and powerful. Highlights: You Want It Darker, Treaty, On the Level, Leaving the Table, If I Didn't Have Your Love, Traveling Light, It Seemed the Better Way, String Reprise / Treaty
no es exactamente mi gusto pero fue una experiencia interesante
My 2nd favourite 2016 cryptic death album by a critically acclaimed artist
Good. Not great.
Indeed dark. Pretty emotional. Could be a go-to if I need to just wander around listening to something.
He has a captivating voice. You can feel the darkness in the content.
This is a fantastic album, and one of the very rare instances where my mom showed an album to me, and we both listened and fell in love with this melancholic beauty, so this adds an additional layer to my love for You Want it Darker. I love how soothing Cohen's voice is, and his lyrics are always interesting and worth looking into. Such a great farewell album.
You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen was released just 17 days before his death and stands as his final studio album. You go into this expecting something dark, and it absolutely is. I love Cohen, but somehow I completely missed this album when it came out. This is my first proper listen, probably because my daughter was born just days after he passed. She’s also called Marianne, which makes this one hit a bit differently. This album is beautiful, deep, sad and genuinely stunning. The melodies are subtle but powerful, the backing vocals add a real weight, and the lyrics are as sharp and poetic as ever. Cohen’s voice is fragile but full of authority, which only adds to the emotion. It feels like a man reflecting, accepting, and saying goodbye. One of the best things about this challenge is discovering albums like this. It’s quite something to connect so much with a record made by an 82-year-old man at the end of his life, dealing with everything that comes with that. It doesn’t feel dated or distant, it feels honest and real. Favourite tracks: The title track You Want It Darker is brilliant. The lyrics are both beautiful and painful, set against that haunting, almost gothic sound. There are so many strong moments across the album though. Least favourite tracks: Every track earns its place, nothing feels out of place. Album artwork: Brilliant cover, simple but perfectly in keeping with the tone of the album.
I am on a historic string of great albums over here. I don't even care that upon closer inspection I am likely to find that this is just the same song repeated nine times with different lyrics. It is a great, great song. Five fedoras.
I'm not a massive Leonard Cohen fan, his talk-style singing isn't for me. However, his lyricism is undeniably mesmerising, I found Steer Your Way captured my attention just lyrically. I must be honest with myself however that, while conceptually beautiful, sonically this album just doesn't do it for me. So 3/5 for me, even if objectively its probably a 4 or 5.
No thanks.
I liked the music but didn’t like Cohen’s voice.
A companion to Bowie's Blackstar, Cohen's Swan Song is an introspective masterpiece that can only come from a full lifetime.
It's over now, the water and the wine We were broken then, now we're borderline.
It's too sombre for me to listen to that frequently, but it is beautiful in its own way and he has a voice like an idling diesel.
I didn't expect to enjoy this too much but once I recognized the intro song that sampled in James Blake's new album Trying Times (My 2026 AOTY so far) I knew it was going to be great. Something about the way he has accepted his mortality but still holds on to some of the silly mistakes from his 82 years of life. This album releasing 17 days before his death really adds a weight to this album that I didn't expect. Favorite Songs: You Want It Darker, Traveling Light
Released three weeks before he passed. This sound was dark and delicious
holy fuck (emphasis on holy)
my favourite album about death
1. You Want It Darker - 10 Brilliant track. Cohen's "Lazarus". Absolutely stunning lyrics and Cohen's voice is perfect for this track. A piece of excellence. 2. Treaty - 7 Lyrically it's very breathtaking at times and other times it loses itself a bit. Piano is superb on the track. 3. On the Level - 8 Almost the exact same criticism as Treaty but the chorus is way more brilliant on this track. Admittedly, I was not really a fan of Cohen's vocals but the subtle nature of the instrumentals on the album so far have helped highlight his vocal range and how excellently he navigates both pitches and tones. Solid track. 4. Leaving the Table - 4 I have a love hate relationship with this song while listening to it. I am not a fan of the reused lyrics/theme from You Want It Darker about leaving the table and being out of the game. While others would say it's foreshadowing, I look at it as needless repetition. Having said that the following lyrics about not knowing who's in the picture frame is brilliant. On the topic of the song itself, it's too slow and way too rigid and makes it feel like a lullaby. 5. If I Didn't Have Your Love - 5 Lyrically it's great but it's way too slow and way too much a lullaby again. 6. Traveling Light - 6 The metaphors/lyrically set up on this track is incredible. Instrumentally I'm not a huge fan of it, especially the intro. It just feels like something I've heard a million times before like a cheap background track during a movie shot of Paris or Venice. 7. It Seemed the Better Way - 5 Opposite issue with Traveling Light. Love the instrumentals on this track but lyrically can't really get into it. 8. Steer Your Way - 5 It's okay. Lyrically it's very simple and there's also a simply pleasantry about the violin on the track but it's nothing overly phenomenal. 9. String Reprise / Treaty - 10 Brilliant outro to the album, even more so given the circumstances. Average Rating: 6.67 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 3.33 Rounded Down: 3 Stars
Overall Rating - 4.69/5 (9.38/10). Heartbreakingly sad, reminiscent over a long life of music, and a farewell from one of the great poets and composers.
Played this a few times, thought I would have been able to really listen to the lyrics the way he talks them. But no, I kept getting distracted by the sound of his voice, it just became a background drone. I do respect him as an artist otherwise it would have been a one
This kind of shook me today, it was haunting and beautiful. The story behind the album and lyrics really captured me. I think Treaty was my favourite song.
Agréable, on se laisse porter... ou bercer. Toujours une très belle voix profonde et pénétrante, mais rien de bien nouveau sur cet album (pas pu écouter les paroles)
Conveys a really nice atmosphere, one that I would have trouble describing as I pretty much never heard it in music. The closest I've known to this is Cigarettes After Sex, and that's a pretty big stretch.
Damn. Actually pretty freaking cool. Confused me a bit at first, but the context is really important with this one. A master songwriter, basically on death's door, singing (croaking) about his perplexing and troubled relationship with God. Musically very pretty, and thematically incredible. Fave tracks: - You Want It Darker - Leaving the Table - Traveling Light - It Seemed the Better Way - String Reprise / Treaty
Simplemente hermoso álbum
I surprisingly enjoyed this album. One of those albums that I can appreciate as a work of art, but will certainly never listen to again. My usual problem with Leonard Cohen is his use of drawn out vocals with no real melody. This album was more melodic and modern sounding to me. I like how tight the themes are, and the way he elaborates on or twists the meaning of certain phrases across songs.
really just poetry and imagery read with gravelly-voiced gravitas. there's a simplicity to the backing tracks that's neat. subtle. i like it a lot. favorite song is Steer Your Way
Rating: 7/10 A late, late career and life album by Leonard Cohen with some dark poetry and spoken world style lyricism. It's sparse and minimal, with his vocals driving the songs. I need to give it more listens for it to grow on me and have a firmer opinion where it could well deserve a 4
I'm right on the line between the voice being corny and propping the whole album up, and also totally liking the voice and liking the whole album. The songs have a cool sound, but it's a Ramones-y where every song just hits the same hook and they're not super varied. You Want It Darker is a great song. Overall decent, a little same-y but sounds cool 6.6/10
Yes. Yes I do.
2,5