Ten New Songs [Import]

Personnel: Leonard Cohen (vocals); Sharon Robinson (vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Bob Metzger (guitar). The nine-year gap separating THE FUTURE and TEN NEW SONGS was by far the longest in Leonard Cohen's recording career. The surprising thing is that after all that interim time spent on a mountain in Zen meditation (no, really) the tone and outlook of Cohen's work seems hardly altered. Most importantly, his masterful songwriting acumen did not diminish one iota. If anything, Cohen's poetic prowess seems sharper, more focused and concise on 10 NEW SONGS. Sonically, the album continues Cohen's fascination with synthesizers, as first heard on 1988's I'M YOUR MAN. For his first album of the 21st century, he's embraced the digital world fully; nearly every sound is generated by the electronic artillery of Cohen's producer/L.A. cohort Sharon Robinson. There's a polished modesty to the arrangements, always completely subservient to Cohen's richly resonant lyrics and crater-deep voice. Wordwise, Cohen tackles the vagaries of love, the fragile nature of humanity, and the emotional subtext of global politics; typically weighty subjects befitting a man commonly regarded as one of the greatest songpoets of his time. That mantle is duly honored and upheld throughout TEN NEW SONGS.