You Want It Darker

Didn't expect this. It was really good. I do want it darker, Leonard. You should have done this years ago. Dead now though, eh. You silly bollocks.

Good this. I do want it darker. I want SHACK being left in charge of a pack of boy scouts levels of darker. Let's see if you can match that for darkness Leonard.

One of our best

Leonard Cohen finally clicked for me on this album - I always acknowledged he was a great artist before, but he never did it for me. This album, released shortly before his death, is dripping with all of the emotions that you expect from a man at that stage of his life; grief, loss, awareness, regret, exhaustion, love... Here's a man who's on borrowed time, being able to reflect on his life from the outside in, and the result is kind of special. It reminds me of Bowie's Blackstar in that respect - an opus to outlive himself, by design.

Praticamente a quest'album ho dedicato più di qualche ascolto. Musicalmente sembrava abbastanza lontano da ciò che mi colpisce solitamente di un album, ma alcuni testi mi hanno lasciato una sensazione strana ma bella, ed ho sentito la necessità di ascoltarlo ulteriormente coi testi sotto mano. Mi piace quello che scrive e come lo fa anche in maniera semplice. Calcolando che quest'album è uscito prima che morisse, lo rende come una sorta di testamento recitato con la sua voce roca e profonda. Sono partito con un 3 al primo ascolto, ma con il secondo penso di averlo interiorizzato (anche troppo) tanto che mi sono emozionato.

Nice existential late-night chill

Very cool, modern. Love the deep richness to his voice

4/15

Cohen at his most earthy and percussive. Not my favorite Cohen era, but there's still lots to love here!

Good album. Speaky.

Don’t listen when on a downer!

Wirklich tolles Album.

Wirklich gutes Spätwerk. Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass ich da mal sage aber i want it brighter

A dark journey though a man's struggles to accept that he's at the end. Haunting.

Wonderful stuff - originally wasn’t expecting what I got - will be back to this for sure

Wonderful stuff - wasn’t expecting what I got - will be back to this for sure

Such a great voice from Cohen. Some songs were great, some od them probably won't stuck in my head.

Mature excellence

First time listening to this. I love Leonard Cohen. Such a gorgeous album. That man knew how to write a song.

I like it!!!!! :)

Oh..dark

Leonard Cohen isn’t necessarily a good singer although like the really deep half-talking on most of this album. It sounds like an entire album created by Hades from Hadestown which is kind of cool. I don’t think I could put most of these songs on playlists but the album is definitely still good. Also Cohen is a fantastic songwriter and the arrangement is always tasteful. Leaving the Table stands out to me as a good song that might be better with more normal vocals but there are also songs like You Want It Darker and It Seemed The Better Way that are certainly elevated by Cohen’s haunting vocals. Favorite songs: Treaty, On the Level, Leaving the Table, It Seemed the Better Way Light 8/10

i can see why people like it, but i cant imagine listening to it often

Geweldig plaatje. Ken niet zo veel van Cohen, maar viel niets tegen.

Lekker donker - zoals het prachtige eerste nummer al meteen duidelijk maakt. Mooi en sfeervol. Ik zou voor 3 sterren gegaan zijn, maar nadat we het net samen nog een keer luisterden kwam Nieke tot de conclusie dat haar 3 sterren er eigenlijk 4 hadden moeten zijn. Dus die extra ster krijgt Leonard dan bij deze van mij.

Okay it was rainy and cloudy and I went for a walk listening to this and the vibes were impeccable. Fantastic as an album, but not a whole bunch of situations I'd really enjoy listening to it? 4.5 stars

One of best posthumous albums ever!

His voice freaks me out from time to time but overall interesting to hear a Leonard Cohen album with modern production standards and strong backing vocals. Some of the songs kinda reminded me of The Division Bell purely because of how the backup singers sounded but pretty good overall.

The title track is great. Cohen is an interesting guy because you can really tell he's a poet/writer first. The rest of the album is still good although it stands out less than You Want It Darker.

impressive 4/5

Es emotivo porque es poesía muy bien musicalizada. Leonardo es un personaje oscuro y aunque el disco es muy bueno, no es su mejor presentación. Destaca traveling light

Tres bon. Different des anciens mais il y aune touche special 4.25*

Wer sonst hat das Bedürfnis, nackt zu sein?

Siempre he sentido que había dos Leonard Cohens, los dos son poetas consumados, uno es romántico, sensible, profundo y nostálgico; el otro es pesimista, muy muy oscuro, espiritual, cansado y reflexivo. El segundo es mi favorito y este es uno de los dos discos que mejor siento lo representan. Hablan mucho de cómo Dylan es un poeta y en mi opinión aunque es muy brillante para escribir sobre situaciones de su vida y para armar canciones la musicalidad propia de las palabras, la verdadera poesía del sentir un significado ulterior de una frase que lleva a algo más profundo la manejaba muchísimo mejor Cohen. Un disco inteligente sin sentirse presumido, con corazón y con un sentir de verse cercano al fin. Minimalista y con un gran peso emocional. La música cumpliendo su función como siempre en sus canciones no es la parte central pero tampoco deja nada a deber, calmado acompasado y con coros crea el ambiente correcto en cada canción. The Future me sigue gustando más pero éste es un disco con grandes ejemplos que recuerdan que la música puede tener un verdadero valor literario y, si me apuran... ese Nobel estuvo dado incorrectamente incluso.

deep voice

Ok, i was late on this one, but i thoroughly enjoyed it! I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but oh man did i make a mistake on not listening to this sooner! the lyrics were poignant and sung with such a rawness and feel to them that they can almost cut you and make you feel simultaneously. the music is brilliant, i mean, they aren't deep, like, say, John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, but still great in their own right.

Beautiful album, a fitting final album released before his death. 4 stars.

Not my style at all but so beautiful I'll revisit it for sure!

how his voice so deep yo

Que discazazazazo, solo recuerdo a otra eminencia recitando poesía mientras hay música (In My Life cover de Sir Sean Connery). Leonard siempre tan sombrío y explorando esos sentimientos que muy pocos se atreven. Aparte entra en una side list de los discos que se grabaron poco antes de la muerte del artista (ya pasó con Bowie y espero esté Cash)

Actually really enjoyed it. Really high quality production and some very interesting musical ideas

Simple yet meaningful, poetry

Really interesting and dramatic. What a deep voice.

I found it quite good actually. I like Leonard Cohen, it's slow but I like it.

This man can craft some devastating songs. Does his voice sound smooth or pristine here? No, but that's not the point.

Great album, such a stark, haunting yet beautiful tone throughout. 'Leaving the Table' is the highlight, but it's definitely worth a full listen.

Late classic Cohen.

7/10 FT: You want it darker

I wish I liked him more

It's sad, soft, slow spoken words over minimal instrumentation. Wasn't really something I was in the mood for, and I seriously doubt I'd revisit. The story behind the album is very sad. 3/5

Great deep voice. Very dark mood but a little too restrained for my usual listening.

Fav: Steer Your Way L: If I Didn't Have Your Love 3 It wasn't working for me. If I reach 80 years old and this is my outlook on life, death, love than something has gone wrong. Cover: 3.5 Name: 2.5 Minecraft Parody: In the Nether (On the Level)

I think I'm supposed to be a Leonard Cohen fan. Maybe he has better albums. The songs themselves weren't very interesting. Playing a song slow with a rich voice doesn't make it all too valuable automatically. Idk, it was fine. It might need to stew a bit longer. 2.5/5

Ik merk dat het niet helemaal mijn ding is, heb wel eens naar hem geluisterd, maar kon er ook nooit echt inkomen. Terwijl je al snel geneigd ben op 4 sterren te beginnen, puur vanwege de naam. Maar dat moet je dan eigenlijk niet doen he. Het is best prima om naar te luisteren, maar die schurende praatstem wordt ik gewoon niet heel warm van. En dan is het muzikaal ook niet interessant genoeg om het op te tillen zeg maar. 3 sterretjes dus.

And darker it is.

When I’m in the mood I’m quite partial to a bit of depressive music to sit and wallow in something or other which seemed important at the time but in reality wasn’t. Generally accepted that Leonard Cohen is the king of all things gloomy, bleak and cheerless. But I take my melancholy with other artists better suited to my mournful tastes. I listened to this album first thing on a Sunday morning in bed. I got up afterwards feeling at peace and not a bit glum so the darkness of this album did not work on me. Leaving that aside I did enjoy the listen albeit Leonards’s voice does tend to grate after a while but not bad enough to make me reach for the pills or razor blades. 3/5 13/9/26

Musicality- 0.8 Vocals - 0.8 Vibes - 0.5 Listen to again - 0.1 Execution - 0.7 Total - 2.9

It's dark, it's grim, it's written and performed by a man who knows he's dying. All that being said, I'm not sure if I liked it, but I appreciated it. Not something I'd seek out to listen to again but I'm glad I heard it. 3.5* rounded down to 3*

3/5

Feels an odd place to start with Leonard Cohen, but that’s not up to me. I can see some of the beauty in this, with the arrangements as sparsely lush as they are and Cohen’s own sense of poetry in the face of death and all that, but it’s just not really music for my tastes on a sort of baseline level. The chamber folk poet bit isn’t really my bag.

I guess it's cool. To be fair didn't really have the opportunity to listen to it intentionally. Listened it while writing reports at work... But I did catch on to some good tunes, so I'll have to revisit it another time...

I never asked it to be darker, but I can't see shit now.

Not my favorite

This is pretty good. I like the dark vibe of some of the songs, first one is great and there are other nice melodic bits. But some songs are a bit of a drag

listened to this on release. meaningful in the context of cohen's discography (and his death), but probably an unnecessary addition to the list

This wasn't BAD, but it wasn't great. Leonard Cohen's voice took some time to grow on me, but it was very nice! This album just tended to bore me at times, but this was well done and is a solid 2.5 or 2.75 out of 5 Liked Songs: "On the Level" , "If I Didn't Have your Love" , "Traveling Light" , "String Reprise / Treaty"

the record as a whole is not near his classics but you want it darker is one of his best tracks.

The title song was amazing, but the rest of the album felt like it was chasing that high after. It became a bit stale for me.

- Third Cohen album I have received...which does feel like a lot. That being said, this is the one I "enjoyed" the most, mainly because he seems to have realized that his raspy vocals are better when talked than properly sung. (I admit that might be a result of his health at the time.) - Legitimately think "If I Didn't Have Your Love" is a sweet song. The backing organ adds some extra romance. - Also like the backing strings on a few tracks, most notably "Steer Your Way." - Still not a Cohen fan. But I see why people like this.

Tough one for me to rate; this album has depth. The vocals are unique and unmistakable and the instrumentation wraps up Cohen's words and transports them effortlessly. But as to how much I actually enjoyed it... It's difficult. Maybe I wasn't in the mood to hear a dying man lament over mortality and God.

Didn’t love it, just not my vibe. But the lyricism and instrumental was good

Mostly boring, but there were some enjoyable parts. 2.5/5.0

Maybe it's blasphemy, but at time of writing in August 2026, I've only ever heard Leonard Cohen by name. If I've ever heard his music, it is without knowing it's Leonard Cohen! The hymn choir and bass guitar at the beginning of "You Want it Darker" immediately caught my attention, then Cohen 'sang'. I've never been a fan of this talking style of lyrics, but for this track it worked; he's like calmer older brother of Tom Waits. A voice that sounds like cigarettes and coffee; it was a great way to start the album. "Treaty" made me nervous for the rest of the album, as the talking lyrical style continued. Yet, the pianos and strings were beautiful... I really hope this isn't going to be a Nick Cave situation for me. Despite this, the lyrics have real weight to them (I understand that Cohen recorded the album in the knowledge that he was dying). Considering the age and frailty, it's pretty remarkable and deeply reflective music. It gets my respect for that at the very least. "On the Level" was perfectly fine, but did nothing memorable for me. The opening chords of "Leaving the Table" showed promise, but then fizzled out for me to similar sonically to the last 2 tracks due to Cohen's vocals, only to pick back up again with the beautiful southern guitar sounds ringing out. In the end, I enjoyed this one more than I think I've given it credit for here. The funeral-esque vibe set by the organs paired with the opening lyrics of "If I Didn't Have Your Love" was beautiful, but it just lacks the variation I look for in an album against all the other tracks. This is another of those albums filled with songs that feel like they should be sprinkled across other albums. Other songs I enjoyed: "Travelling Light" and "It Seemed the Better Way". Overall, there wasn't any song I hated, but the variation is lacking in a big way for me that prevented me from enjoying it more. I'm left wanting to explore more Cohen, so that's a good sign. Lastly, I think the opening track set my expectations too high for the rest of it that possibly dampened my enjoyment.

Musicians fall into two types: poets and composers, and very few manage to combine these two qualities. Leonard Cohen is first and foremost a poet, and a very good one at that (no joke: sixty years on stage), and that's the problem with this album. The songs here are primarily poems, in which the seasoned lyricist reflects on his life and prepares to pass away. The music here is merely a backdrop for these lyrics, very simple, a bit monotonous in places, but never overwhelming. After the announcement of this album, Cohen announced that he would soon die, but at the album's release event, he declared that he intended to live forever. And a couple of weeks later, he actually died; either the universe heard him, or he truly knew something. Thus, 2016 began and ended with the deaths of two masters. I'll listen to this album again in forty years, but for now - three stars.

Like the music, not the voice

Do I like this? No. Do I hate it? Again no. Beat poetry with a sort of classical accompaniment- meh. I think Cohen was an important song writer. Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley is amazing. For rough smokey vocals I prefer Tom Waits.

Последний альбом Коэна с релизом за 17 дней до его смерти. Скорее всего поэтому он и здесь, альбом ровный, но у него были вещи и покруче. Отметил для себя удивительное сходство с Гребенщиковым в некоторых местах. Топ-1 - Leaving the table Топ-2 - It seemed the better way

pretty sad stuff, not really my vibe but good stuff

Really liked the backing music but his voice really kills it for me. That being said I think I liked this album more that his previous entries I’ve had. 2.5/5

3.5

Pleasant voice, wish he told me a bedtime story.

I hate comparing this to Blackstar, but it’s hard not to. While I love the voice and the atmosphere, it’s a little one-note. It also doesn’t help that the album peaks with the opening title track, “You Want it Darker.” This is good, but there are better Cohen albums.

This was probably my least favourite cohen album we’ve listened to. It was just a bit too moody for me.

The biggest problem I had going into this was that I don’t really know Leonard Cohen’s discography all that well, so it’s hard to judge where this fits. Is it a big departure from his earlier work? Is it the result of where his music had been heading for years? Or is this just what a Leonard Cohen album sounds like? Either way, I think it works pretty well on its own. The title track is easily the highlight. It feels new for someone at this stage in his career, and while nothing else quite reaches that same level, the rest of the album sticks closely to the same theme, making it feel really cohesive. Between the piano, violin, Django style guitar, and all the religious imagery, heavy organ, monk chants, etc. it creates this really cinematic atmosphere. My only real issue is that after such a strong opening, a lot of the songs start to blend together. They all build on the same ideas, but none of them quite hit as hard as the title track. Dropping it to a 2 would probably be a little harsh, especially considering the context of the album, but I can definitely see this connecting much more with longtime Cohen fans than someone like me who's just getting into his music. That said, I still think it's a really satisfying final album, and if anything, it just makes me want to dive into the rest of his catalog.

cool voice

his growling voice muses through topics of life and death, loneliness, regrets and the bleakness of reflecting on your past. It's heavy, it's somber, it's melancholic and his voice carries the weight associated with the feelings I mentioned. I think it's an important listen, not every artist reaching this part of their career. For that reason I think it deserves it's spot on the list of music that should be listened to before you die. I will say, if I encounter a lot of these types of albums on this list, I will be adjusting the ratings as necessary. I think that there are other albums out there that will do either better or much worse in a similar context. I'm not sure where to rate this. It's too minimalist to be a 5/5 for me, the voice is something that you have to like in order to enjoy the entire project at it's fullest. You have to be ready for the somber feeling across the entire runtime. I think it's around a 7/10, so I'll be giving it a 3/5 for now.

after the first track i thought that was pretty cool but then it was too much of the same

Leonard clearly intended Popular Positions to be his swan song, but then he lived a little awkwardly longer and wrote some new songs. Some are great (the title song), some are okay, it's all lugubrious but it's all terrific because it's the sound of a guy who thought he'd said everything he was going to say finding out that he still has more stuff to say.

These are objectively good songs. It is SO hard to get past his rough, flat voice. I understand he is literally on his deathbed recording this, but I can’t ignore it.

I absolutely despise Leonard Cohen and have given all 3 of his early records on this list a 1 star review. However, I have to admit that the themes and atmosphere on this album elevate it. And I guess my feeling is that he's earned this album at this point. He's much older and he's had a long life. And I feel like this type of record was due.

I don’t know if it can get much darker. I listened to Eminem yesterday. I predict that I’m going to get Nine Inch Nails tomorrow.

It’s a good record but not one of his best. Many better records omitted from the list.

siguen saliendo albumes de leonard cohen y no termino de conectar, en este la voz tan grave me incomodó y no vibee 6/10

Some poignant moments - I need to dig further

I am not the biggest fan of Leonard Cohen; he is obviously a great lyricist but I couldnt really get into his voice. Still, I liked this album. It;s always so interesting to listen to the last recorded album of an artist where you can really feel them reflecting on life (and/or death).

Little too slow, good when the instrumentals are there

Me dió la sensación de mucho polvo en una cabaña de madera con restos de whisky en los vasos

Love his voice. It's like Hades from Hadestown was singing to me!

The production on the album as well as the instruments is what makes this a good album. The lyrics are good but nothing to write home about. The vocals are why this won't go on any playlists as I find it quite grating. If it were sung with a Joan Baez type of voice and vocals I would love this album.

First song was really cool, the rest seemed pretty lackluster in comparison. His voice is Tom Waits-y, lots of religious themes. Best song: You Want It Darker Notable(s): It Seemed the Better Way

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Not my kind of music, I'd rather be sung to than talked out, but again I got into it. You want it darker and travelling light are pretty good. Reminds me of Johnny Cash in his christian era.

6/10

you can tell it's his last album. It is fairly somber and melancholy sounding. Beautiful music but honestly I could not stand his "singing" voice. I can respect the art though.

Not really my thing but the title track slaps

A good album, I liked You Want It Darker and Traveling Light the most.

You want it darker 2/5 Treaty 4.5/5 On the level 3.5/5 Leaving the table 5/5 If i didnt have your love 4/5 Traveling light 3/5 It seemed the better way 3.5/5 Steer your way 4/5 String reprise 4.5/5

You Want It Darker - 3.5/5 Treaty - 4/5 On the Level - 3/5 Leaving the Table - 3/5 If I Didn't Have Your Love - 3/5 Traveling Light - 3.5/5 It Seemed the Better Way - 3/5 Steer Your Way - 3.5/5 String Reprise / Treaty - 2.5/5

Correcto

Ooh what is this. Gravelly spoken word but so clearly mixed vocals, over gentle choir and groove. I dig this. Ah the gravelly voice does get a little bit grating after a few tracks. It feels like Leonard is actually whispering into your ear, a bit too personal. I guess he was too old for full throated singing. Lots of piano arpeggios, vaguely in the style of Hallelujah. Some nice string quartet sections on Steer Your Way. And the spoken word suits this track very nicely. Best track - You Want It Darker, Steer Your Way 3.5 stars - at the start the style is so unexpected it's fun, but the effect can't be maintained for a whole album. Where it works it is magic though

Enjoyed it, but dont see myself coming back to it regularly

"C'mon guys! The awful abject foreverness of death is making its big push, and we gotta help Leonard Cohen push back!"

Dit begint echt interessant en heeft opzicht nog wel mooie stukken, maar ik kan niet tegen die gravitas die hij zichzelf geeft. Het voelt allemaal zo een beetje onnodig zwaar en donker aan.

Lyrically, like with most Leonard Cohen, a masterpiece, but suffers from a lack of creative producing. He needs a foil to the straightforwardness of his melodies and smaller vocal range.

Wow that was depressing.

The poetry was beautiful. Idk if I cared for the music or songs as much. Love Leonard abundantly - brilliant poet and songwriter. This one, as heartbreaking as it is, doesn’t catch me as his other works do. Title track is absolutely life altering, though. Listening to Leonard Cohen makes me want to live as long as I possibly can on this hell rock just to keep experiencing the greatest feeling of love over and over and over again. Although this album doesn’t hit me like his other works, I’ll never deny the precious and delicate genius this man had.

You want it darker - 3 Treaty - 3 On the level - 4 Leaving the table - 3 If i didn't have your love - 3 Traveling light - 3 It seemed the better way - 3 Steer your way - 4 String reprise / treaty - 3

Down tempo, somber, melancholy, introspective, and very listenable, even with his unusual approach to vocals.

At first I didn’t like the album because it wasn’t the “vibe” I was looking for. But upon continuing I gained a massive respect for Cohen. The style of what feels like poetry with music in the background isn’t for me but I appreciate it now. I was surprised to find out he sang Hallelujah so I had to give that a listen!

Boring

75

Great poetry, but definitely not an album to "just have on in the background"

Somber but still pretty good. Continue to feel like I just want to listen to a better singer cover every song Leonard Cohen records.

The rhyme schemes were a bit rudimentary, but effective in their way. Crazy to get back to back Cohen. This one is not the most cheery haha. Maybe came out around trumps election, which explains a lot. Also one of his last albums at the sunset of his life/career, I respect this, but don’t think it’s an all time effort.

Seriously dark and seriously funny croaking sardonic almost songs about death. Spare and spooky. Respect but repeat listen

A pretty dark, sparse record reflecting on life and death. He has a bit of a Tom Waits vibe going on with his voice, but rather liked it. Highlights: "Treaty" and "Traveling Light"

Always enjoyable with a very distinct voice and mood.

J’aime bien les mélodies dans l’ensemble, mais je suis pas très fan de Léonard Cohen en fait je pense. Je trouve ça assez plat. Je n’apprécie pas assez les paroles pour passer outre Quand même le début de chaque chanson me prend. Juste c’est un vieux quoi Je sais apprécier la beauté de cette musique mais j’y reviendrai jamais 6/10

This is one of those things where I wish I got it, but I don't, not really. I know there are lots of folks that hold Leonard Cohen in high regard, and I even understand the issue. For example, I really like the Grateful Dead, like, a lot. I also have a soft spot for Bob Dylan. Much like black licorice or coffee, these are acquired tastes. People who love them, love them. People who don't get it, don't. Unfortunately, while I appreciate the quality and the effort, this isn't my bag. Dig it?

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

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.

Little dark and heavy, he eats gravel

This was somehow heartbreaking and scary at the same time. Very dark. Goodbye felt like quite a commanding voice. Simultaneously hopeless and hopeful

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...

3.5

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”

I liked it at first but it grew a bit repetitive

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.

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

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

It’s all very good but I just can’t listen to Leonard cohen speak for that long striaght

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Too slow

Poetry with music

A bit slow for me

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.

This was incredibly mid.

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

Considering the man and the meaning behind this album, I'm glad I listened to this. Will I listen to it again? Probably not..

eh. just not my thing

Kind of all blended together to me

I appreciate the artistry and emotion but it just isn't for me.

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.

I found it very pretty, but a little same-y. But my cat genuinely loves Leonard Cohen.

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”.

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.

No es mi estilo. La primera canción te atrapa un poco más

another pretty good album that I'lll never listen to again

This is a gorgeous album, his vocal style just isn't my thing.

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.

I could do without the synth. It feels off on his stuff. Decent songs though.

Super moody

Given the history of this album, I can understand its ‘darkness’. But unfortunately, it doesn’t really appeal to me. Still, 3 stars...

It's good, it's very good. Its the production that stands out

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.

Cold. Inspiring.

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.

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.

Not bad at all

Cohen doing his best Tom Waits impression.

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.

🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 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

Pretty good but it's just too nice outside for this to have the impact it deserves.

Old man asmr

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.

Interesting - crazy narration like singing

6/10

Wow. The title track. Epic. The rest of the album, totally fine with some tasty moments. Good stuff.

worth a listen

Runonlausuntaa laulun muodossa. Puhetta melodialla. Synkkä, melankolinen. Taiteellinen. Käsittelee jotain elämää suurempaa - - kuolemaa. Viimeinen kappale kaikista kaunein.

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.

Always nice to get something a bit different. Obviously a different sound to his earlier works but good nonetheless.

Top Songs: Treaty

I like Leonard Cohen sometimes. This one is not my favorite.

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

He has a captivating voice. You can feel the darkness in the content.

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.

I liked the music but didn’t like Cohen’s voice.

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

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)

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

great album just not something i’d listen to often

Much better than expected. The talking voice actually works here unlike his earlier albums.

He definitely sounds like he was 82 when this was recorded. But I really like the arrangements and songs. More than some of his older albums. Am I crazy for kind of liking his voice on this? Especially on the opening track. Stockholm syndrome probably.

First off, love his voice. Never heard anything by Leonard Cohen before so it surprised me in a very pleasant way. And I enjoyed the themes of the album, especially as someone who used to believe in god. For me, the problem is that I feel misled? Catfished? The album is titled "You Want It Darker" and the first track is so dark and heavy and moody, especially melody-wise. I got really excited and foolishly thought that the rest is going to sound like that. But it didn't. No other track comes close to match the sound of the title track and I was so disappointed. Looking at the subject matter and the lyrics of the other songs, it makes sense, but it just felt like whiplash? Lowkey soured the whole experience for me, so I didn't get much from this album.

Folk rock.

It's OK. A lot of gravelly singing.

I love his passion, but I wish he had not harmed his vocal chords with cigarette smoke. ★★★

Not a bad album, but definitely not my thing.

Ein verrauchtes Zimmer in Hamburg, Flo schon der Magen knurrt, Thomas und Malte am zocken, Hauke backt Brötchen, Roggen, David liegt weiter eingelegt, nur die Morgenlatte sich regt, les diesen Text in seiner Stimme, so tief, wie Thomas' Kimme

So odd. Much more bible based than expected.

Another id not heard. Quite enjoyed listening to it

I feel like I initially wrote this off since he sounds like a smoker, but it was actually a good album. I kinda liked it?

Swan song from quite the artist. I've always thought of Cohen as more of a poet than a singer. This album is no different. Dark tones and subtle humor as he reflects on his final days.

Tough rate. On the surface this is a 2, but understanding the circumstances behind this album...makes me want to bump it up to a 3. I hate talk singing, but Cohen gets the pass this time. 3 it is.

Cohen is such a strong songwriter and hearing him here, where his voice is so weathered and sad sounding, really fits his whole songwriting. Like, of course! Of course this is the guy who wrote "Hallelujah"! and he's in his bag here too. Listenable all the way through. I definitely understand if someone doesn't like the way his voice feels like a blue note against the other background singers here though. One hell of a swan song to go out on, rest in peace Leonard.

A dark, spoken-word album released 17 days before Cohen died that talks about death and love that was lost. Prophetic and strange at the same time. Not something that is going to make my normal listening cycle, but I’m glad to have listened to this once.

Nothing says Monday morning quite like the Leonard Cohen death album - thanks randomizer! Listen, Lenny can write a brutally beautiful song but he can’t sing one anymore. Perhaps there’s an intended poignancy in Cohen’s inability to harmonize his lyrics, and he has earned the right to do this however he chooses, but his lack of tunefulness, along with the underdone orchestrations, only add to the barrenness of the album. Normally, I would trumpet this choice as genius metaphor in structural craftsmanship, but here, it feels like last rites more than artistic choice. Like Neil said, “It’s better to burn out than it is to rust.”

Well, this is certainly something different. We are invited into a dying man's home as he approaches his final day. Heavy topic, solemn tone, deliberate words. Leonard Cohen doesn't try move you in any direction, he simply shares his final thoughts. There are times when music evokes more than it entertains. This is an example of that. Very moving album.

Dette er et verdig farvel, men det føles ikke ut som Cohen gjør noe han ikke allerede har gjort tidligere? I kontrast virker Blackstar mer som en siste statement. Gir Tom Waits konkurranse i utrøyka whisky-stemme, da.

Tittelen på albumet kunne like gjerne handlet om stemmen hans? For den ble ganske mørk på slutten der ja. Dette er et helt greit album. Jeg husker da det kom og da han døde så hadde jeg vært gjennom et år hvor jeg hørte veldig mye på I’m Your Man, og tenkte at denne plata nok en gang var et forsøk på noe av det samme. Egentlig er vel alle platene etter I’m Your Man litt repeat. Det er ikke en uverdig avslutning for Cohen, men en helt ok. Tittelsporet er høydepunkt så det holder (det tror jeg Øystein Karlsen mente også fordi jeg minnes at han brukte låta komisk mange ganger i Exit), men det meste får meg til å tenke på tidligere storhet og at jeg forventer mer av en artist med et kaliber som Cohen.

Jeg vil så gjerne at dette skal være bedre. Toppene er høye, men han snubler for ofte. Låtskrivinga går litt på autopilot noen ganger, og produksjonen er til tidvis flaut amatørmessig. Men det er jo ingen som er kulere, og det er mye bra her.

Leonard Cohen again. This album released and he passed away less than 3 weeks later at 82 from leukemia. This was very much a coming to terms with death album. Reconciling at the end of life. It's very emotional and it's obvious Cohen is leaving it all out there. Cohen was a great poet. Great and very effective simple writing that's very powerful; but i'm really not a fan of spoken word poetry set to music. The style and Cohen's voice just don't work for me. It sounds out of place when the music is so beautiful.

6/10 A disjoint between the vocals and everything else - understandable, of course.

Beautiful and haunting but slow and a little unfoucsed. Maybe something I'll grow to enjoy more as I get older? It's impossible to not compare this with Black Star, a last words artistic statement that still keels kinetic and exciting 10 years out. You Want It Darker (tital track) is an all timer though, one of Cohen's best.

Very beautiful. Not my typical cup of tea, however.

It was interesting to have it so focused on his vocals. Really set the mood for the album. Good storytelling. Music arrangements were well done. Not my thing but enjoyed it for what it was.

damn dude i do want it darker 3.5/5

I enjoyed the album but had notable picks, although he has an undeniably beautiful voice, I'm not sure I would re-listen. Although it was an artistic an snazzy album, 3 stars

By the time Cohen began recording this album, his mobility issues forced him to record his portions in his living room with the help from his son, Adam, and then send his recordings by e-mail to his musical collaborators. The album is really all about the lyrics, which is what Cohen was most famous for. The music itself is simple and really takes a back seat to the lyrics. It's definitely not a happy album - it's Cohen at the end of his life talking about death and religion, with a little bit of his dry humor tossed in. Definitely a classic coming from a legend.

Despite his weakened voice, Cohen is a commanding presence on this album. His vocals are careful and measured, thick with the wisdom and weight of a life and career that was reaching its end. The way he rasps "hineni hineni" on the title track is so visceral yet satisfying. Lyrically the album reads as someone reviewing their life and making peace with it; the lyrics are good if not terribly deep or clever on every song. "Treaty" is a highlight, second only to the incredible title track. I do wish the album was more interesting musically, as outside of the fiddle on "Steer Your Way" everything is fairly minimal and sticks to similar sounds. Still, when the closing strings come in, sounding like more than just the end of an album, it hits hard. While I don't enjoy this enough to give it a four, it deserves the praise it gets as an incredible final statement.

Interesting lyrics but not an enjoyable listen for me, the vocals are essentially spoken word and the instrumental section did nothing of interest

Ok a bit depressing

3.5 down, enjoyed more than I expected!

3.4

Not bad…not bad at all

Relaxing album, the whole album is in the same vibe which is nice. The guy smokes a lot

Leonard Cohen is often mentioned among the great lyricists of the rock era. Unfortunately, to an even greater extent than Dylan, vocal shortcomings overshadow the lyrical abilities to the point that if you’re listening to a Leonard Cohen song, it’s probably being sung by someone else (it’s also probably called Hallelujah). I’d be surprised to see many covers of songs off this album, though. Highly personal and thoroughly religious in a way that you don’t hear too often in popular music, this was Cohen’s confrontation with aging and death. From what I was able to grasp on two listens through, the lyrics are poignant, haunting, and very well executed. But as a piece of music…. Well, let’s just say that this album is not to my taste. Again, to my ears, Cohen has never been a good vocalist, but in this case I actually think the impact of time has helped him. He is obviously trying to stay away from long held notes or anything much in the way of tonality. Funnily, that actually helps to steer him away from the aspects I like least of his previous work. Outside of the lyrics, the album is most interesting from a production standpoint. Cohen’s voice is dominant in the mix, and it sounded almost like what I imagine the voice of God would sound like. His voice is worn and tired in a way that emphasizes the feeling that this is his preparation for death and the next great step. But this album shares those elements with Johnny Cash’s American Recordings albums and David Bowie’s Blackstar, which spiritually feel like this album’s closest points of comparison in recent years. And I find myself enjoying those albums much, much more. In the end, as powerful as the lyrics may be, I don’t see myself returning to Cohen’s project in the way I routinely do with the others.

About what I expect from Leonard Cohen

A voz do Cohen nesse álbum é um absurdo de grave. Porém eu tendo a preferir os outros projetos dele.

I need half stars for this.. it’s not a 3, not yet a 4.. I get it, but I fear this isn’t my stuff. Cohen’s voice is doing most of the heavy lifting, and the album peaks with the first song.. Respect but not for me.

Je ne sais pas trop quoi en penser. Parce qu'autant le premier titre était très prenant et marquant, le reste m'a beaucoup moins parlé. Le fait est que musicalement, c'est plutôt discret la majorité du temps et je m'y attendais un peu. Vocalement, c'était étonnant. Je ne sais pas à combien de cigarettes par jour il était (il en tient littéralement une sur la pochette !), mais il a une voix extrêmement rugueuse et rocailleuse, qui, je dois bien l'admettre, est tout bonnement frappante. C'est vraiment un bon album, mais peut-être tout simplement pas fait pour moi. Cela dit, le fait qu'il soit sorti juste avant sa mort ajoute un côté... sépulcral à la musique. Je suis persuadé que la liste comprend au moins encore un album de Leonard Cohen, je suis curieux d'entendre ça.

Enjoyable, his voice is like a really thick yoghurt. Sounded a bit like Liam Nelson in parts

Music okay. He has a very deep “speaking” voice rather than singing

Good album but dark

The most unique one by yet. Really relaxing and 'close to the hear' kind of vibe. Really liked then last song "String Reprise/Treaty" Still not really my thing. Probably give this another listen.

This album was fine for me, and completely get why some people love Leonard Cohen. Spoken word poetry isn't my jam, so this album doesn't have to0 much for me. Musically it is utterly uninteresting - it's really Leonard Cohen rambling over background music. For someone focusing on (and enjoying) his poetry, I can see how this could be great. It was entirely inoffensive for me, though - was totally fine on in the background.

No, I want it better

Liked this better than the last one of his from 88.

Leonard Cohen is one of my all time favorite recording artists, but I don’t care who it is, if you’re an 82 year old shut in whose going to die in 17 days, I don’t want to listen to your record. Doesn’t matter if you’re Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Warren Zevon or any other once great artist who is inches from death that this morbid motherfucker put in this book. Let these people die in peace and stop making them croak out final albums from their deathbeds, and most of all stop making me listen to them!

I definitely appreciate this album, but I wish it was musically more interesting. If the strings were present in more than just the first and last song, I definitely would have liked it more. Lyrically very beautiful though.

Nice music for a massage...but totally missing any relevance...

Leonard Cohen's final album before dying on November 6th of 2016 happened to be an album he dropped just about 2 weeks prior with You Want It Darker. This album isn't anything super extraordinary or even special, but it is a very touching piece from the very aged and experienced Leonard as he pulls together some of his sharpest work in years for one final swan song. This album is the more niche Blackstar to some as I am sure Leonard must have known his time was limited as he was previously diagnosed with cancer and really wanted to put his all back into his music and show people that his lyrics still can stand up in a modern day and age. The clearly aged Cohen doesn't do anything crazy vocally but moreso uses his voice to share his own experiences and wisdom to a whole new generation, much like listening to stories from your grandfather's past. The instrumentation is grim and very much feels like Cohen knew the end was near, once again like Blackstar, and yet there is never an ounce of fear in his voice. You Want It Darker takes its' title much more literally than most projects and I really respect the transparency whether or not it was intentional as it is a perfect descriptor of this album for both newer and older Leonard Cohen fans. It may not be the most exciting album in the world but it is a very telling experience that I think takes a lot back on the legend's life in a very beautiful way as it practically goes full circle with how he started to how he ended his stellar career. You Want It Darker is essential as it shows talent is not defined by age and even some of the older souls can come back and release some of their best work even in the twilight years of their career.

carino, genere particolare sul cantautorato. apprezzato ma non il mio

That was quite the Leonard Cohen journey! Very unique!

His voice is still there but I couldn't find anything interesting in the music.

I'd had his first 2 albums before, so wasn't thrilled going into this, but was instantly shook by how good that initial title track is. To be fair the rest of the album didn't live up to that, but was still good. His voice sounds great in his 80's.

What a voice.

Those gravelly and finely aged vocals, man…Leonard Cohen’s voice has always been a superstar instrument. Like the superstar Allen Iverson, it dominates the album with so much flair. However, like it was hard to build around AI, I felt like the instrumentation could have done a better job at supporting Cohen’s vocal talents. I liked the strings and the added sense of drama from the orchestral elements, but wanted even more of an emotional backbone from the instrumentation. Faves: On the Level, Treaty

did not finish

Me: Wow the world isn't a great place right now 1001 Albums: Here's a sad brooding album from a guy on his death bed to cheer you up

I liked this better than other Cohen albums. It has more grit to it. I enjoyed the lyrics, and the instrumentals weren't bad either.

i def prefer older leonard cohen, but i still enjoyed it.

The lyrics are great but thats the only redeeming quality because it sounds shit

tranquilo y oscuro, casi gospel, mood chill, algunas muy oscuras, 3 o 4 de 5

Sparse instrumentation really does his voice wonders

Love the songwriting hate the singing. Maybe Mr Cohen should try auto tune

Better by the end of the album, the beginning kinda stank.

Beautiful production, but I don’t know how much time personally I want to spend with a Death Album. I liked ‘Traveling Light’ but couldn’t escape that every track kinda feels like it’s looking to be a True Detective theme song

Decent album.

coolio

With gravelly, spoken-word-like vocals and restrained melodies, You Want It Darker feels like a set of religiously charged reflections from a man at the end of his life.

Very dark and sombre blues tracks - the vocals get grating after a while and I’m not sure when I’d ever be in the mood for this, but I didn’t hate it.

Beautiful album Song I like: Treaty, string reprise/ Treaty

Just not a big Leonard Cohen fan, but I can appreciate the appeal

Very moody and thick

I thought it was a pretty and quite haunting album. It felt like he wanted to get this one last album out before he pegged it.

You want it darkers class, the rest is a bit old man dying samey

I like grufty, but his voice here is often hard to listen to Opening song is great. Id give that a 4.5 the rest of the album gets a 3

Feel the same way about this now as I did when it came out, I just can’t get on board with the vocals. Fair play to the man because he was clearly on his last legs when he recorded this. It’s a well written record as you’d expect. Bang Nick Cave on vocals and you’ve got something I’d return to.

this actually wasn't that bad

does he perchance have ties to the mafia

An emotional album, the voice of the singer is unique and suited for this time of songs 3/5

There’s both darkness and light in this stripped down, signature Leonard Cohen sound. There’s songs that are quite touching, others are quite forgettable. I do get the sense that this (and him in general) could grow on me, as I came to appreciate it more as I got a bit more familiar. But for now it’s a fine listen that I’m not dying (unlike Leonard Cohen) to get more out of.

Hard listening in one go, enjoyed certain tracks would dip into it here and there again

Mieletön artisti mutta itse en kyllä saanut tuosta rohinasta irti niin paljon kuin olisin halunnut.

Groovy Leonard cohen. Not my personal favorite Leonard cohen.

Mwahei

It was alright. Had its moments. Instrumentation was definitely the best part.

Leonard Cohen composes his own funeral album. Not for me, but it's beautiful.

This is a real mood this album, underpinned by that incredible voice of pure gravel. It's deliberate, and it really takes its time, but there's a confidence in that. I particularly like the little interjections of strings or mandolin in places. There's really good acoustics and backing singing as well. But it IS slow and quite heavy and it's not going to be an obvious go-to most days. 3.5 rounded down.

No es el tipo de música que escucharía, pero está buena igualmente

Good

Haunting and beautiful. Not something I could listen to often, but I'm very glad I heard it. 3.5.

It's not bad but peoms poems poems.

Good background vibes - honestly enjoyed way more than I thought I would

Interesting concept. It’s alright but wouldn’t listen to again.

Beautiful late era poems. It's a real late era record - reminds me of those by Tom Waits and Dylan and Morrisey and maybe Johnny Cash. The swagger of the young musician is fading a little, but they're trying to give a destilled version of their magic in an old man voice. His lyrics are as playful as ever. It's not fantastically compelling listening for me, but the songwriting at its core still seems very solid and altogether it's a beautiful thing