The masterful Leonard Cohen, who turns 82 today, is bringing us along on a journey into darkness with the new single from his upcoming album. “You Want It Darker” is a moody, atmospheric chant of a song, like a depressed hymn version of the “Monster Mash.” Cohen growls at an almost sub-sonic level over haunting hums (brought to you by the voices of a Canadian synagogue’s cantor and choir) and an eerie organ. It’s a hypnotic Halloween-season ballad that actually deserves to be played at midnight.
As usual, there’s sad poetry to be found 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.
Play the song in the video above.
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