The Buffalo News review

[jarkko]

From Marie:

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20 ... 057611.asp

Leonard Cohen
Dear Heather
(3 stars out of 4)

At 70, Leonard Cohen seems to have finally made peace with himself. That's a wonderful thing for Cohen, now a devout Buddhist. But is it good for Cohen the recordmaker and songwriter?

The answer suggested by "Dear Heather" is yes. And no.

On the plus side, Cohen manages to approach what for him will have to pass for happiness with the same unflinching gaze - one part stoicism, the rest a blend of wit, reverence and spite - he's brought to his best work, from "Death of a Ladies Man" to later winners like "I'm You Man" and "The Future." The familiar croak is still here, more spoken-word suggestive of melody and rhythm than actual singing, and we welcome it. The lyrics remain brilliant and virtually without parallel. The cool, late-night vibe is intact, the ghosts of ladies hanging about like viscous specters from a Norman Mailer novel one minute, pale Ophelias the next.

The trouble is Cohen's seeming relaxation. He's placed the overarching ethic of his music in the hands of producer Sharon Robinson, which is not necessarily a bad thing, since she handled his last record, "10 New Songs," quite wonderfully. But this time around, there are moments when it seems a little too obvious that Robinson composed and recorded the music, Cohen showing up to add his bits over the top at a later date. As a result, there is a disembodied feel that plagues parts of the record though it never manages to wholly derail it.

There are moments of sublime, poetic beauty here, and they make up for a few spots that sound phoned-in: "The Letters" is the prime example.

There is a sense of inner peace throughout "Dear Heather" - and that's the first time anyone has been able to say as much about a Leonard Cohen record. Is it because of this that the record falls just a notch short of his best previous work? Maybe. But even a slightly substandard Cohen album is a wonder to behold.

- Jeff Miers