The Daily Californian review

[jarkko]

From Marie, of course!


The Daily Californian
http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=16804
Thursday, November 4, 2004

Leonard Cohen
DEAR HEATHER
[Sony]

Leonard Cohen remains a brilliant lyricist and a legendary folk singer, but his latest release is an exploration of lilting, non-traditional melody that may not bide well with some listeners.

Dear Heather is a varied collection of songs: “On that Day” is Cohen’s poetic and understated mediation upon 9/11, “Go No More A-Roving,” a slow, sultry interpretation of the Lord Byron poem, and the title track an experiment with chant, delivered in a staccato, almost robotic performance by Cohen along with his back-up singers. With Dear Heather, Cohen serenely continues exploring the artistic vision established through previous albums. The album’s construction is rough, completely void of the smooth-jazz production quality which was a point of contention between critics of his last album.

Women feature prominently throughout the album, through Cohen’s lyrics, female back-up vocals, and recordings with Sharon Robinson. The gentle self-deprecation in “Because Of” is tender and lasting: “Because of a few songs/Wherein I spoke of their mystery,/Women have been exceptionally kind/to my old age.”

Cohen leans away from the more traditional instrumentations of song; most notably, the backbone of each song is the keyboard, not the guitar, and structures the rest of the harmony with tenor sax and Jew harp.

Leonard Cohen is an artist unaffected by pop and trend, so it is unsurprising that the compositions on his new album do not follow the predominant formulas of verse-chorus-verse, or intro-climax-resolution. Many of the songs do not build beyond the breathings of their opening, as Cohen emphasizes poetry over melody. Dear Heather is heady material, and those looking for easy listening or a catchy riff have purchased the wrong album.

—Angie Baecker