Old Ideas and new serenity

From the first hearing to be excited, this is not so self-evident in Cohen's recent works: The album "Ten New Songs" and its successor "Dear Heather" set fire not only in my ears after I thought away my arrangements and the lyrics in spirit had come to the fore. The live implementation of the 2010 tour I liked it so much the better, although many seemed a bit bloated and the brilliance of the musicians sometimes the song character almost average.

Astonished, amazed and excited makes me about it, "Going Home" stand with my mouth open. The first title of the new album, which will be released on Friday, skin simply to. The "golden voice" begins with the sentence "I'd love to speak with Leonard, he's a sportsman and a shepard, he's a lazy bastard living in a suit." And now it is clear: While these are old ideas, but that could be a wonderful album. A quiet late work is not reprehensible when the early work was already calm.

The second track "Amen" is similarly unspectacular arranged here like "Huuuhuuuu" choirs of backup singers very good and quiet "twang" in the background, the organ and the sluggish broom drums remind me of the arrangements of the last tour, where in the best moments while playing all the musicians, the overall impression but a relaxed, was quiet, casual.

In "Show Me The Place" Cohen then sounds almost like Tom Waits in its early years: a piano, strings, his voice whispered by an unspectacular but touching vocal melody. But nearly a piano ballad, then is added a Hammond organ and completes what is almost contemplative in its atmosphere.

"Darkness" then goes almost from the drums is more present, the Hammond organ is roaring to himself, guitar and bass sound, a saxophone manages to contribute to the song, instead of pushing to the fore. A future classic Cohen, as I'm sure.

The next track, "Anyhow," includes a wonderful piano solo; otherwise it's hard to describe individual pieces with such touching music. It is Leonard Cohen, it is the essence of all that he has ever made 'to each of the pieces of this disk!

"Crazy to Love": Yes! Cohen with guitar without affecting the rest. Excellent! Alone due to the arrangements this is the best title of the disk. He could have appeared on "Songs of Leonard Cohen", or on "Songs From A Room". Only: what Cohen sings, has much to do with the stereotypical "old wisdom", which is noticeable in the Buddhist monk. This piece Cohen has proved that his old concept, the poet with the guitar still works unless you can not let both poetry and guitar merge, and simplistic, but holds effective.

Of course, after that the singers must again ran, "Come Healing" is another ballad in modern Cohen style, but his voice roars here just up a notch darker than usual!

"Banjo" sounds like Country, but also like by the backing vocals, reminiscent of Nashville, but brings out the good in it.

The following "Lullaby" is just that: a pleasant lullaby, with Gitarrenklimpern and organ surfaces, with "Huuuh" -Chören, with "Sleep, Baby, Sleep" and a night poem. The drums sound a bit too electronic but Cohen had been "First, we take Manhattan" a fondness for this sound, you can not be angry with him, especially when he sings with such ease "Here's My Lullaby"!

"Different Sides" then goes again in the direction of "Closing Time" and has gotten the typical 2010s tour package.

Why is an album with so little innovation so damn good? Why can Cohen sing anything as long as he only sings? I dont know. It may be that there are musicians and poets, the touch. Because they serious about what they are selling to the public. Because although they are part of the music industry, but the product is not their music, but their marketing. Because Leonard Cohen has not really eaten wisdom of age with the spoon, but bought with the whole being, and now shares with us. Because nearly 45 minutes of new pieces of Cohen sufficient to feel safe.

Because this album is just damn good!