BY ISMAIL AYDIN
ismail.aydin@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
As the cold weather arrives in our city, the music we all listen to changes. Upbeat guitar riffs leave my ears to soothing piano melodies, which bring winter to my playlists. I think the gray sky and the rain are what most influence people’s choices of what to listen to in order to heal their souls with music. With all the supporting elements ready, Leonard Cohen has released his latest album, “You Want It Darker,” and made our lives easier when it comes to deciding what to listen to; it’s almost impossible to find a better choice at this time of year.
Like anyone who cares about the lyrics or the harmony of the songs that they listen to, I made space in my busy agenda to listen to the record as soon as it came out. For lazy readers, here’s my summary: it was worth the time spent. Now please stop wasting your time, and listen to Cohen’s masterpiece instead. But if you’re interested in what I found in the record, you may want to continue reading.
As someone who has been around for 82 years, Leonard Cohen is one of the few artists who has had the chance to be an important part of almost four generations’ musical lives, and I hope that his work will continue to find a place on our playlists, thanks to his new songs.
However, it is clear that being a senior citizen has influenced his latest work. The lyrics and even the song titles read like a farewell letter. (I’m reminded of his earlier song “Famous Blue Raincoat,” which he closes with the words, “Sincerely, L. Cohen.”)
The first song on “You Want It Darker” that got my attention in this respect was “Leaving the Table,” where he expresses his thoughts in the following lyrics: “I’m leaving the table/I’m out of the game/I don’t know the people/In your picture frame.” (I should remind you that this statement becomes more solid and inspiring when you hear it sung in his magnificent voice.) The fact that he uses the line “I’m out of the game” in not only this but also another track makes it clear that this album is his certain farewell.
Similarly, in the song “Traveling Light,” which begins with a choir singing a wonderful melody, Cohen enters with these words: “I’m traveling light/It’s au revoir/My once so bright/My fallen star.” In them, we again see the darkness referred to in the album’s title.
His ability to seem like a friend to thousands in their sad and lonely moments is maybe the one big, special thing about his music. The track “If I Didn’t Have Your Love” speaks to those blue moments. His lifelong experience concerning the importance of the one person who is truly loved is poured out to the listener in every line of the song, most especially in the closing lines, “Well that’s how broken I would be/What my life would seem to me/If I didn’t have your love/To make it real.”
Having described what I find exciting about the album, here’s some boring stuff for music geeks. The album was produced by Adam Cohen (Leonard Cohen’s son), Patrick Leonard and Leonard Cohen. It was recorded in Cohen’s house between April 2015 and July 2016, and released on the Columbia Records label.
Finally, it’s really no one’s business to critique a master like Cohen; let me just say that listening to this album will revive the part of your heart that only Leonard Cohen can reach.
Postscript: When I wrote this column last week, I was writing about a living legend. But before the piece was published, Leonard Cohen unfortunately passed away. With all my heart, I offer my condolences to his family and friends, but most especially to the whole world. Rest in peace, Leonard Cohen!