Leonard Cohen recently dropped the news that he will be releasing a new album entitled, “Old Ideas”. This is a thrilling announcement for Cohen fans around the world because he hasn’t released any new material in over 7 years, since his last album, Dear Heather, in 2004. Heather topped out at 5 on the billboard charts in Canada, clearly indicating that his next album will make quite an impact on the music world when it drops at some point in 2012.

Cohen has recently stated, “I’ve played it for a few people, and they seem to like it,” according to the New York Times. The Montreal born singer/songwriter has penned such singles as, “Suzanne,” “Hallelujah,” “Bird on a Wire” and “Chelsea Hotel No. 2.” Many other artists have rerecorded these tracks, very famously Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” which has been used in a spectrum of movies to television shows, perhaps most recently in Disney’s animated feature, Shrek.

Cohen’s music was vastly popular in the late 1960’s, yet never faded away as many other artists of his generation seemed to. He has gained a status similar to Bob Dylan or Paul Simon in his cult following and admiration by younger musicians of subsequent eras and of ranging genres. His last album showed a new phase in Cohen’s musical exploration. His tone seemed to be fondly reminiscent, while maintaining a hushed, nearly nocturnal vibe. It will be a treat to find out what “Old Ideas” will bring to the proverbial table, and how it will round out his vast body of work.

Cohen has not released very much information since his general press release on his website and his recent interview with New York Times, however for those who expect to see him live in promotions of the album, he said, “God willing, I never quite know whether there’s going to be a tour or not.”