“I’m ready my lord” Cohen speaks these harrowing words in a voice that has clearly deteriorated from his youthful days that provoked his first albums in the 60s. There’s a great deal of beauty to this voice however, and despite the obvious pain Cohen feels as he sings these verses, there are few voices as deep and convincing as his. He truly gives it everything he has left on these final songs, passing away only 3 weeks later. This album seems on paper as hardly a comfortable listen, however I think there's great merit to Cohens optimism and spirituality on this album which lightens its most oppressive moments. It takes a great deal of strength to make statements like this at such a fragile time in one’s life. I can respect the fact that after all, this is an album to be listened to and to entertain, while making a thought-provoking statement, not just for the sake of the statement. Personally, I would come back to this album for how authentic its folky elements are, and the truly one-of-a-kind vocal performance and lyricism. But in the way the album sounds like a funeral procession, I have a great deal of hesitation in sitting down and listening to the whole thing. This album is a beautiful poetic send off to a great poet and songwriter, and really just inspirational to creatives in general. "You want it darker. We kill the flame."