The master of poetic rock, Leonard Cohen, has just celebrated his 82nd birthday, and apparently he chose today to share “You Want It Darker,” the title track off of the new record he will be releasing in month’s time. A bit of the song played during a scene from the most recent season of the British crime dramaPeaky Blinders, but we get to hear the whole thing today.
Recorded with backing from Montreal’s Cantor Gideon Zelermyer and the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue Choir, the track is a moody, atmospheric chant of a song that features Cohen with his dark yet charismatic whispers. If the track is any indication of the album to come, we might expect a hypnotic Halloween record to truly set the atmosphere for the season.
As usual, the music is not the only reverent aspect to Cohen’s new song. If you try hard enough, you can discern some tragic poetry in Cohen’s subtle delivery: “There’s a lover in the story / But the story’s still the same / There’s a lullaby for suffering / And a paradox to blame,” he croons. “You want it darker, we kill the flame.”
The new album, out Oct. 21, will be his 14th studio release. It was produced by his son, Adam Cohen, and if “You Want It Darker” is any indication, it will be a soulful addition to his already-stacked oeuvre.
Watch the video below:
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